Composite & timber decking in Great Bowden
Composite and timber decks for Great Bowden homes, in keeping with the village greens and built for slow-draining Welland valley clay.
In Great Bowden, composite decking typically costs £200–£250 per m² supplied and fitted, and softwood timber decking £110–£140 per m², with a 15–20m² composite deck usually £3,000–£5,000. The local considerations are character and water: the village has a conservation area and a neighbourhood plan with design policies, and its clays and mudstones drain slowly, so we design for the water first.
- Composite, fitted
- £200–£250 per m²
- Planning
- Not needed under 30cm high
- Ground
- Clay; slow to drain
- Guarantee
- 5 years, in writing
Our 2026 guide prices. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit. Full breakdown: composite & timber decking cost guide.
Composite & timber decking in Great Bowden
Great Bowden is a village of greens just north east of Market Harborough, with ironstone, brick and thatched houses around its greens and lanes and later housing on its edges. It has its own neighbourhood plan, first made in 2018, with policies on design and character. Most decks are in rear gardens out of public view, but where a garden is seen from a green or lane we choose boards and finishes that sit comfortably with the materials around them.
Every deck we build has posts or pads on firm ground, a treated or aluminium sub-frame at the joist spacing the boards need, and a weed membrane and drainage beneath to keep the frame dry. Behind older brick and ironstone houses, softwood or warm composite tones look at home, and the later houses on the village edges usually suit a clean composite deck with a picture-frame edge. Steps and step lights are added where the garden needs them.
What makes Great Bowden different
Great Bowden sits on the clays and mudstones of the Welland valley, which drain slowly, with the River Welland and the Langton Brook to the south. Harborough's flood records note the April 1998 flood, when both overtopped and part of Great Bowden Lane was affected. On this ground we set the supports on firm material below the soft surface layer, keep the frame clear, and make sure rain falling on the deck has a route away rather than collecting underneath.
A typical Great Bowden deck sits behind a brick or ironstone house, modest in size and finished in warm tones, or off the back of a newer edge-of-village home as a larger composite deck. It involves a test dig in the clay, supports on firm ground, membrane and drainage, the frame, and boards finished with a matching edge.
Sources: Great Bowden conservation area · Great Bowden neighbourhood plan.
Permissions in Great Bowden
- PlanningDecking in a rear garden is normally permitted development if no part of it is more than 30cm above the ground and, with other outbuildings and platforms, it covers no more than half the garden. A raised deck over 30cm needs planning permission, and a listed house needs consent. Listed buildings and the Great Bowden conservation area have tighter rules, so we check your address before anything is designed. Planning Portal: decking
- TreesTrees in a conservation area need six weeks' notice before work, and protected trees need consent; both are free. Harborough: tree work
- Design and priceWe measure up, check the ground and the planning position, and give you one fixed written price.
Rules checked October 2026.
What you get in Great Bowden
- Finishes chosen to respect the neighbourhood plan's design policies
- Warm board tones beside brick, ironstone and thatch
- Water route designed first on Welland valley clay
- Composite boards that will not rot, splinter or need staining, or pressure-treated softwood
- Frame built to the board maker's joist spacing, so boards do not bounce or bow
- Picture-frame edges, hidden fixings and LED step lights where you want them
The specification
- Ground levelled, weed membrane and drainage gravel laid
- Posts or pads on firm ground, set in concrete
- Treated softwood or aluminium sub-frame, braced and level
- Boards fixed to the manufacturer's spacing and fixings
- Edges, fascias, steps and lighting finished
- Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
“Really pleased with my new driveway. Beautifully finished, friendly professional workmen, would definitely recommend and will be using them again for the garden once other renovations complete.”
Driveway — Google review
“Absolutely great guys, job was done in good time and looks brilliant. No complaints, the driveway is immaculate. More work in the near future, thanks again!”
Driveway — Google review
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Composite & timber decking in Great Bowden: questions
How much does decking cost in Great Bowden?
Does Great Bowden's neighbourhood plan affect a deck?
My garden is visible from the green. Does that change the design?
Is clay a problem for decking near the Langton Brook?
Request a site visit in Great Bowden
We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.