Fire pits & sunken seating in Great Bowden
Fire pits and sunken seating areas in Great Bowden, with the retaining walls and drainage done properly.
A built-in stone or brick fire pit typically costs £1,200–£2,000, and a fire pit with built-in seating from about £3,500. A full sunken seating area with retaining walls and drainage is priced per job, usually as part of a wider garden build. A fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden does not normally need planning permission.
- Fire pit with seating
- From £3,500
- Planning
- Not normally needed
- Ground
- Clay; slow to drain
- Guarantee
- 5 years, in writing
Our 2026 guide prices, all in. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit. Council fees checked October 2026.
Fire pits & sunken seating in Great Bowden: what is involved
We build fire pits set into the patio and sunken seating areas dug into the garden, with retaining walls, built-in benches, steps and drainage at the bottom so the area does not fill with water.
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.
We cover Great Bowden (LE16) and the villages around it, including Market Harborough, Little Bowden, Welham, Slawston and Foxton.
Ground and conservation in Great Bowden
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. We design for the water first. Digging down into the clay in Great Bowden makes a sump that collects water, so a drained floor and drainage behind every retaining wall are not optional here; where there is nowhere for it to go, we pipe it to a lower outlet.
Great Bowden has a conservation area covering the historic village and its greens, and a neighbourhood plan with policies on design and character, so road-facing changes should respect the materials around them.
Harborough's flood records note the April 1998 flood, when the Welland and the Langton Brook overtopped, affecting part of Great Bowden Lane. You can check any address on the Environment Agency flood map.
Sources: Great Bowden conservation area · Great Bowden neighbourhood plan.
Permissions in Great Bowden
- PlanningA fire pit or sunken seating area in a rear garden does not normally need planning permission. Keep fires a safe distance from fences, trees and buildings, and be considerate of neighbours: smoke can be a statutory nuisance. Listed buildings and the Great Bowden conservation area have tighter rules, so we check your address before anything is designed. Planning Portal: outbuildings
- 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
- Retaining walls built on proper footings with drainage behind
- A drain or soakaway at the bottom so a sunken area never floods
- Built-in benches faced in stone, brick or render to match
- Fire pits lined and set at a safe distance from fences and trees
The specification
- Area set out and dug down
- Footings and retaining walls built
- Drainage and soakaway at the low point
- Paving laid to falls
- Benches, steps and fire pit built
- 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
Everything else we do here
Fire pits & sunken seating in Great Bowden: questions
How much does a fire pit cost in Great Bowden?
Do I need planning permission for a fire pit in Great Bowden?
Does the ground in Great Bowden make a difference?
Will a sunken seating area fill with water?
Gas or wood fire pit?
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.