Clay brick pavers can be used to create patios, garden paths, courtyards, driveway surfaces, borders, steps and detailed transitions between larger paving materials.
Their small format offers considerably more design flexibility than large paving slabs. However, successful clay paving design depends on restraint. Too many colours, borders, laying directions and unrelated materials can divide the garden into disconnected sections.
The strongest schemes normally use one dominant clay colour, one principal laying pattern and a limited number of details that perform a clear visual or practical function.
Our clay brick paver collection is available in four coordinated colours:
- Burnt Red
- Tuscany Buff
- Burnt Umber
- Heritage Charcoal
All four products have the same nominal dimensions of 200 × 48 × 58mm and are installed on edge, with the long, narrow 200 × 48mm face visible. Because the size and proportions are consistent across the range, the colours can be used individually or combined within a controlled paving design.
1. Choose the Clay Paver Colour in Relation to the Property
The paving does not need to match the building brick exactly. In many projects, a complementary colour relationship appears more natural than an attempted exact match that narrowly fails.
Existing brickwork changes in appearance according to its age, mortar colour, weather exposure and previous cleaning. The paving should therefore be considered in relation to the complete property, including:
- Brick or render colour
- Mortar joints
- Roofing
- Doors and window frames
- Boundary walls
- Existing natural stone
- Timber, metalwork and garden structures
- The colour and density of surrounding planting
Burnt Red
Burnt Red clay brick pavers provide the strongest connection with Victorian, Edwardian and traditional red-brick properties.
They are particularly suitable for front garden paths, courtyards, herringbone patios, driveways, garden steps and soldier-course borders. Burnt Red can also introduce a warmer architectural detail around neutral porcelain or grey natural stone.
Tuscany Buff
Tuscany Buff clay brick pavers create a lighter paving surface suited to pale render, buff brick, limestone-coloured walling, light porcelain and gravel gardens.
The lighter colour can reduce the visual weight of a small or enclosed courtyard. It should, however, be expected to show soil, leaf tannins and other surface contamination more readily than darker colours.
Burnt Umber
Burnt Umber clay brick pavers contain deeper brown and earthy fired-clay tones that coordinate naturally with timber, mature planting, sandstone, dark fencing and weathered garden materials.
They are well suited to cottage gardens, country properties, informal courtyards and winding paths where the paving should settle into the landscape rather than dominate it.
Heritage Charcoal
Heritage Charcoal clay brick pavers create a darker and more structured surface for contemporary extensions, white render, grey window frames, minimalist planting and architectural garden layouts.
A large unbroken charcoal surface can appear severe, particularly in a shaded garden. It can be softened with warm planting, timber furniture, buff walling, gravel or a restrained Burnt Red or Burnt Umber detail.
2. Start with the View from the House
A patio should not be designed only from the position of someone standing in the garden. In many homes, the paving is viewed more frequently through kitchen doors, windows or a rear extension than it is viewed from the far end of the garden.
Before selecting a pattern, identify the most important sight lines from:
- Kitchen doors
- Living-room windows
- Sliding or folding doors
- The main garden entrance
- Upper-floor windows where the complete layout is visible
The centre line of a herringbone field, the edge of a border or the direction of a path should relate to these fixed architectural points. Poor alignment is particularly noticeable with narrow clay pavers because their repeated joints create strong visual lines.
Where a patio is visible through wide doors, a simple framed paving field usually creates a calmer result than several small panels laid in different directions.
3. Use the Paving to Organise Movement and Garden Zones
Clay pavers can do more than cover the ground. Their direction, colour and pattern can guide movement and distinguish between different uses of the garden.
They may be used to define:
- The route from the house to a seating area
- A separate outdoor dining space
- A path around planting beds
- The entrance to a courtyard
- A transition from patio to lawn
- A change between pedestrian and vehicle areas
- The perimeter of a larger paved surface
A change in pattern should normally correspond to a genuine change in function or direction. Changing the laying pattern without a clear reason can make the design appear arbitrary.
For example, a herringbone patio may be contained by a straight soldier-course border, while an adjoining stretcher-bond path leads through the garden. The two patterns then perform separate and understandable roles.
4. Herringbone for Patios, Courtyards and Driveways
Herringbone is one of the most recognisable and structurally interlocking clay paver patterns. It can be laid at either 45 or 90 degrees in relation to the main boundary.
45-Degree Herringbone
A 45-degree layout creates strong diagonal movement and can make a rectangular patio appear more dynamic. It also creates more perimeter cuts, particularly where the paved area contains several corners, steps or irregular boundaries.
This pattern is most effective when contained within a clearly defined border rather than allowed to terminate in numerous narrow cuts against surrounding materials.
90-Degree Herringbone
A 90-degree layout retains the interlocking geometry but relates more directly to walls, doors and straight garden boundaries. It generally produces a calmer and more architectural appearance.
Herringbone works particularly well for:
- Main patios
- Front entrance paths
- Enclosed courtyards
- Driveways
- Central feature panels
- Areas exposed to regular changes in walking direction
Further information is available in our clay brick paver laying pattern guide.
5. Stretcher Bond for Paths and Linear Spaces
Stretcher bond is simpler and more directional than herringbone. Its visual effect changes according to the orientation of the pavers.
Pavers laid lengthways emphasise the direction of travel and can make a path appear longer. Pavers laid across the path create repeated transverse lines and can make a narrow route appear wider.
Stretcher bond is suitable for:
- Side passages
- Straight garden paths
- Utility areas
- Patio borders
- Linear contemporary gardens
- Transitions between separate paved areas
On a long path, the narrow 200 × 48mm visible face produces a more elongated and refined appearance than a broad conventional concrete block.
Where stretcher bond is considered for a driveway or other vehicle area, the pattern must be assessed as part of the complete pavement design, including loading direction, edge restraint, sub-base and bedding construction.
6. Basket Weave for Traditional Courtyards
Basket weave uses pairs of pavers arranged in alternating directions. It creates a decorative surface with a traditional courtyard character.
It is most appropriate for:
- Small enclosed courtyards
- Cottage gardens
- Period properties
- Compact seating areas
- Contained feature panels
The slim proportions of our pavers produce a tighter and more elongated basket-weave effect than a standard block paving unit.
Across a very large area, basket weave can become visually repetitive or busy. It is generally more effective when contained by a simple perimeter course or used within a clearly defined section of the garden.
7. Curves, Circles and Planting Edges
The narrow 48mm width of the visible paver face allows gradual curves to be formed with less obvious stepping and without excessively wide joints.
Clay pavers can therefore be used to create:
- Curved garden paths
- Flowing planting boundaries
- Tree surrounds
- Circular seating areas
- Edges around ponds or garden features
- Transitions between formal paving and naturalistic planting
A circular or curved feature should have a clear purpose. It may frame a table, tree, sculpture, fire bowl or focal planting area. Adding a circle simply as decoration can weaken an otherwise disciplined rectangular layout.
Curves also require careful setting out. Joint widths should remain controlled, and very small triangular cuts should be avoided wherever possible.
8. Combining Clay Pavers with Porcelain Paving
Clay pavers can introduce warmth, texture and small-scale detail around large-format porcelain paving.
They may be used to:
- Frame the patio perimeter
- Define planting pockets
- Create step risers
- Mark the edge of an outdoor dining area
- Connect modern paving with brick architecture
- Reduce awkward narrow porcelain cuts
- Form a path leading away from the main patio
Light porcelain can be combined with Burnt Red or Burnt Umber for a warmer contrast. Heritage Charcoal can create a sharper contemporary junction, while Tuscany Buff provides a lower-contrast transition around beige or cream porcelain.
The materials must not simply be placed beside one another without coordinating their construction. Porcelain paving and clay block paving may use different bedding systems and may respond differently to loading and movement.
The finished levels, edge restraints, drainage falls and supporting build-up must be planned so that the two surfaces remain stable and do not create a trip edge.
9. Combining Clay Pavers with Natural Stone and Gravel
Indian Sandstone
Clay pavers coordinate naturally with Indian sandstone paving, particularly in traditional, cottage and naturalistic gardens.
Useful colour relationships include:
- Burnt Red with warmer brown or mixed sandstone
- Burnt Umber with earthy multicolour sandstone
- Tuscany Buff with buff sandstone
- Heritage Charcoal with grey sandstone
One material should normally remain visually dominant. Using clay pavers as a border, path or transition around a larger sandstone patio creates more continuity than dividing a small garden into several equal areas of unrelated materials.
Granite Setts
Clay pavers and granite setts can be combined to create driveway aprons, drainage margins, step details, contrasting bands and changes in direction.
Silver-grey granite contrasts clearly with Burnt Red and Burnt Umber. Darker granite can frame Tuscany Buff or reinforce a Heritage Charcoal design.
Granite setts and clay pavers may differ in depth, dimensional tolerance and bedding requirements. Their junction should therefore be resolved as part of the construction design rather than adjusted during installation.
Gravel
Clay pavers can form stable walking routes, mowing strips, thresholds and defined seating areas within gravel gardens.
A physical restraint is required between the materials. Without a proper edge, loose aggregate can migrate across the pavers, collect in the joints and gradually weaken the definition of the layout.
10. Borders, Edging and Changes in Direction
A border should perform a clear function rather than being added automatically to every area.
Clay paver borders can:
- Restrain the edge of the paving
- Separate paving from planting or gravel
- Frame a herringbone field
- Mark a change in direction
- Define parking or pedestrian areas
- Create a flush mowing strip beside a lawn
- Connect separate paving materials
A soldier course, with the pavers arranged side by side, creates a strong and clearly visible border. A stretcher-course edge produces a quieter linear detail.
Using a contrasting colour can strengthen the perimeter, but the contrast should be deliberate. Burnt Red with Heritage Charcoal creates a pronounced traditional combination, while Tuscany Buff with Burnt Umber produces a softer light-and-dark relationship.
Loose pavers placed directly on soil do not provide reliable edging. Borders and mowing strips must be properly supported and restrained to prevent movement as the ground becomes wet, dry, frozen or heavily loaded.
11. Steps, Risers and Changes in Level
Clay brick pavers can introduce repeated brick detail into garden steps, raised patios and changes in level. However, they must be incorporated into the structural step design rather than treated as thin decorative slips.
Our pavers have a nominal installed depth of 58mm. This depth must be allowed for when coordinating:
- Tread and riser dimensions
- Supporting concrete or masonry
- Adjacent paving levels
- Nosings
- Drainage falls
- Joint positions
Important design considerations include:
- Consistent riser heights
- Adequate tread depth
- Secure edge and nosing details
- Appropriate slip resistance
- Drainage away from the step
- Resistance to frost-related movement
- Avoidance of narrow or unstable cuts
- Compatibility with the supporting structure
Clay pavers may also be used as riser details beneath porcelain or natural stone treads, provided the complete construction is properly designed and securely bonded.
12. Control Colour Variation and Ordering
Minor variation in tone is a normal characteristic of fired clay and contributes to the natural appearance of the finished paving.
Pavers should be selected from several packs during installation rather than laying one complete pack before opening the next. Mixing across the packs distributes the variation throughout the paved area and reduces the risk of visible colour blocks.
This is particularly important for Burnt Red and Burnt Umber, where changes in fired tone contribute to the intended character of the surface.
Before ordering, prepare a scaled drawing showing:
- The principal paving colour
- Any secondary colour
- The main laying pattern
- Pattern direction
- Border width
- Paths and seating areas
- Steps and changes in level
- Drainage channels
- Material junctions
- Likely cutting zones
Allow for cutting, selection and reasonable site wastage. Designs containing diagonal herringbone, curves, steps or numerous boundaries generally require more cutting than a simple rectangular stretcher-bond layout.
Final Clay Paver Design Principles
A successful clay brick paver garden does not need to include every colour or laying pattern available.
For most projects, the following approach produces the clearest result:
- Choose one dominant clay paver colour
- Select one principal laying pattern
- Relate the pattern to the house and main sight lines
- Use changes in pattern only where the function changes
- Limit contrasting borders and decorative bands
- Use planting to soften large areas of hard landscaping
- Coordinate the depths and bedding systems of different materials
- Mix pavers from several packs during installation
- Plan drainage, edge restraint and finished levels before laying begins
Our four clay brick pavers share the same 200 × 48 × 58mm nominal format, making it possible to develop a coordinated design across patios, paths, courtyards, driveways, borders and garden steps.
Explore the complete clay brick paver collection before finalising the colour, laying pattern and quantities for your project.
