Bedhampton is characterised by an older village core along the springs alongside later estate infill, which shapes how Tarmac & Asphalt gets specified here: hot-rolled asphalt compacted over a prepared sub-base into a single dense, flat surface. The typical job in Bedhampton itself deals with a drainage-led specification, more relevant here than on drier ground elsewhere in the catchment, and spring-fed streams and low-lying ground running toward Langstone Harbour. It suits larger driveways that can achieve a proper fall to a drainage point, and it is worth knowing that standard tarmac is impermeable, so the drainage fall has to be built in at construction.
About Tarmac & Asphalt
Tarmac and asphalt driveways are formed from hot-rolled bitumen-bound aggregate, laid in one or two courses over a compacted stone sub-base and rolled while still hot to bond into a single dense, flat surface. It is quick to lay across a large area compared with unit-by-unit systems, copes well with sustained vehicle weight, and gives a classic, understated dark finish that suits both period and modern properties without competing with the architecture. Standard tarmac is not permeable, so correct falls and edge drainage need to be built in at construction rather than added afterward, and a sound, well-compacted sub-base is what actually determines how long the surface lasts rather than the tarmac layer alone.
Best suited to: larger driveways, properties wanting a low-fuss uniform finish, and sites that can achieve proper falls to a drainage point
Less suited to: sites with no viable drainage fall or where a permeable/SuDS-compliant surface is specifically wanted
Ground & property in Bedhampton
Bedhampton grew up around natural springs and watercourses that still run down toward Langstone Harbour, and that spring-fed ground makes drainage-led specification more relevant here than on the drier chalk ground elsewhere in the catchment. An older village core sits along the springs, with later estate infill filling in around it.
Coastal / flood note: spring-fed streams and low-lying ground running toward Langstone Harbour