I hate those honeycomb things. Just put steps across, sleepers or chunky boards pegged in place in line with the slope, make them project well beyond the path into the planting areas either side then you can just lose the ends in the sloping ground and planting at either side.
You don't say what type you have but angular gravel is going to be better on a slope, pea shingle is a nightmare.
Some pics would really help, one quick way is upload to facebook and then you can copy and paste direct to here.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Those honeycomb things on gravel are useless,other neighbour has got them on front garden, doesn't keep the gravel in place.Thr garden sounds gorgeous,and blooming dangerous You have gravel you can slip on,but don't want levels because you might trip on them! You have to cheat with the pictures, that's what kids and grandkids are for. I can only do it because I got my first smartphone in March. I did say copy and paste is making more than one, and sticking in my scrapbook!
If you want to use gravel on a slope the only safe option is to retain it, whether with wood or stone, to create wide, shallow steps as per Loxley’s photo. Self-binding gravel is better but it will still shift and create a maintenance headache without retention on a slope.
For natural, sloping paths - effectively ramps - the only solution I can think of is rough stones or granite sets, which are sufficiently textured for grip but can be laid to a fairly steep gradient and laid in sand over stony hardcore, to avoid concrete. The sides of the ramp would have to be retained by switching the orientation of the sets from flat to vertical so they are dug in more or using sleepers or similar. Laying setts in an interlocking pattern such as brick or herringbone or rough stones in an irregular manner is also a good idea and this creates more integral strength and stability. This approach is common in narrow, steeply sloping hilltop villages.
If the gradient is steep, whether steps or ramp, work in natural handrails or intermittent grab points as part of the overall design. For steps outdoors, always make them wider and shallower than you would in more contained, indoor spaces, otherwise you create that uncomfortable feeling of tipping forward into thin air.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
We looked at self-binding gravel for another garden, the advice from Breeding Gravel was not to use it on slopes steeper than 1:15
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
The estate next to us used self binding gravel probably from Breedon as it's nearby on the sloping paths in the open area. It's been replaced by tarmac as heavy rains washed deep gouges in it and washed the surface into the road. As others have said shallow large depth steps you walk several paces between with a tallish post or something to mark each step are easier on the knees and the post gives you a hand up or down if necessary.
My partner has been showing pictures of bricks, stone in gravel and what looks like different sized fence posts hammered into the ground then cut flush. Wood in the wet? Slippery when wet.
I assume granite and sandstone for good grip of using stones or stone flags. It's limestone country but limestone is slippery when wet. Ask a climber!
I'm thinking wide steps. Personally I dislike them. They're almost always about my stride length but a bit too much for full stride. Leaves me sort of having to make short and irregular steps. Can't get a good walking rhythm, almost trips me up. Somehow I've never encountered such steps that weren't wrong for me. Of course in my garden I'd work it out to suit me.
There's a half attempt to retain gravel using a sunken grid near the bottom steps. Didn't work. Personally gravel is out for me if I can. I'm thinking just leveling off then big stones for irregular steps. Kind of like fix the fells type of paths in the lakes.
Come on @NorthernJoe lets have photos. If you can get to grips with paths and hedges you surely can master taking a photo with your phone or tablet, clicking the icon and finding the photo! Certainly want to see what you achieve after what sounds like a lot of work! You mentioned an 8 year old if I remember correctly who without a doubt can do it for you but who wants to admit an 8 year old is smarter than you after all Dad's (if its your son) know everything!
Been looking at photos of garden paths online. Googling by type such as brick, gritstone, slate, etc just seems to come up with flat garden paths. Doesn't anyone in garden design circles have or design in areas with hills and slopes?
My partner likes red brick paths in a simple linear way in line with path direction. I think I like lighter colour bricks although my grandad had a red brick path which wasn't flat but rose up to the centre of the path and dropping down to the borders on either side. It was also very straight.
There was a slate path but it seems wrong in a limestone area to have a "foreign" rock to the path.
What is the grip on brick, slate, gritstone, etc? Laying it flat in the gentle sloping areas, would that get slippy in the wet or winter/autumn greasy weather days? Bigger drops need steps, no way around that.
BTW relatives visited Bodnant Gardens in Wales recently and they had all the plants our garden has. If you know it then that might help but obviously it will look a lot different and better!! But it might help to have an idea of plants growing around the paths.
We're also thinking that one nearly circular area with circular stone seating already built in could be rebuilt. The idea would be to give it a more circular shape then add more seating and a built in stone fire pit. The current seating faces over the house and across the coastal fringe to a hill on the opposite side. Can't see to the estuary though. Still a nice view across houses and rail line and valley in suppose. Would be a sheltered spot to sit late into the summer nights, especially with a fire going. Could put a grill on a tripod over it then remove for post dinner chill out.
Right now it's tidy up but we're not far off the time when landscaping and big changes will need to be decided, if we do change things. At least one path needs something as it's a nightmare weeding gravel paths and always brushing gravel back up the hill or off the patio at the bottom. It needs something other than patio. There's steps but at least some sections need to be gently sloping as well. Gravel isn't great for that.
Right now I'm taking a break. We got the front fettled and waiting for the grass seeds to germinate and fill the bare areas and up to the edges. I've made the lawn bigger than I want so I can cut back as I doubt the seeds will grow neatly to the exact edge. I can always cut a bit off.
This now leaves us free to get back into the larger, rear garden now the front isn't an embarrassment.
Posts
You don't say what type you have but angular gravel is going to be better on a slope, pea shingle is a nightmare.
Some pics would really help, one quick way is upload to facebook and then you can copy and paste direct to here.
You have gravel you can slip on,but don't want levels because you might trip on them! You have to cheat with the pictures, that's what kids and grandkids are for. I can only do it because I got my first smartphone in March. I did say copy and paste is making more than one, and sticking in my scrapbook!
For natural, sloping paths - effectively ramps - the only solution I can think of is rough stones or granite sets, which are sufficiently textured for grip but can be laid to a fairly steep gradient and laid in sand over stony hardcore, to avoid concrete. The sides of the ramp would have to be retained by switching the orientation of the sets from flat to vertical so they are dug in more or using sleepers or similar. Laying setts in an interlocking pattern such as brick or herringbone or rough stones in an irregular manner is also a good idea and this creates more integral strength and stability. This approach is common in narrow, steeply sloping hilltop villages.
If the gradient is steep, whether steps or ramp, work in natural handrails or intermittent grab points as part of the overall design. For steps outdoors, always make them wider and shallower than you would in more contained, indoor spaces, otherwise you create that uncomfortable feeling of tipping forward into thin air.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
It's been replaced by tarmac as heavy rains washed deep gouges in it and washed the surface into the road.
As others have said shallow large depth steps you walk several paces between with a tallish post or something to mark each step are easier on the knees and the post gives you a hand up or down if necessary.
I assume granite and sandstone for good grip of using stones or stone flags. It's limestone country but limestone is slippery when wet. Ask a climber!
I'm thinking wide steps. Personally I dislike them. They're almost always about my stride length but a bit too much for full stride. Leaves me sort of having to make short and irregular steps. Can't get a good walking rhythm, almost trips me up. Somehow I've never encountered such steps that weren't wrong for me. Of course in my garden I'd work it out to suit me.
There's a half attempt to retain gravel using a sunken grid near the bottom steps. Didn't work. Personally gravel is out for me if I can. I'm thinking just leveling off then big stones for irregular steps. Kind of like fix the fells type of paths in the lakes.
Certainly want to see what you achieve after what sounds like a lot of work!
You mentioned an 8 year old if I remember correctly who without a doubt can do it for you but who wants to admit an 8 year old is smarter than you after all Dad's (if its your son) know everything!
My partner likes red brick paths in a simple linear way in line with path direction. I think I like lighter colour bricks although my grandad had a red brick path which wasn't flat but rose up to the centre of the path and dropping down to the borders on either side. It was also very straight.
There was a slate path but it seems wrong in a limestone area to have a "foreign" rock to the path.
What is the grip on brick, slate, gritstone, etc? Laying it flat in the gentle sloping areas, would that get slippy in the wet or winter/autumn greasy weather days? Bigger drops need steps, no way around that.
BTW relatives visited Bodnant Gardens in Wales recently and they had all the plants our garden has. If you know it then that might help but obviously it will look a lot different and better!! But it might help to have an idea of plants growing around the paths.
We're also thinking that one nearly circular area with circular stone seating already built in could be rebuilt. The idea would be to give it a more circular shape then add more seating and a built in stone fire pit. The current seating faces over the house and across the coastal fringe to a hill on the opposite side. Can't see to the estuary though. Still a nice view across houses and rail line and valley in suppose. Would be a sheltered spot to sit late into the summer nights, especially with a fire going. Could put a grill on a tripod over it then remove for post dinner chill out.
Right now it's tidy up but we're not far off the time when landscaping and big changes will need to be decided, if we do change things. At least one path needs something as it's a nightmare weeding gravel paths and always brushing gravel back up the hill or off the patio at the bottom. It needs something other than patio. There's steps but at least some sections need to be gently sloping as well. Gravel isn't great for that.
This now leaves us free to get back into the larger, rear garden now the front isn't an embarrassment.