What Is Hoggin And Why Is It A Beloved Paving Surface?

Over the past few years, there have been a lot of new paving surfaces that have taken the spotlight and have made the driveway a great expression of what matters to a homeowner.

From beautiful block paving with Indian stone to gravel, resin-bound surfaces and ribbon drives, each different paving job says something about the person who commissions it, as well as the expert contractors who bring it to life.

With that in mind, what does the use of hoggin say about the people who use it for driveways and footpaths?

A mix of clay, gravel and sand, hoggin is an interesting composite surface as whilst it retains the naturally organised chaos that gravel does, the fact it binds so compactly means that outside of weeding work, it needs astonishingly little maintenance.

Unlike gravel, the surface that it is most compared to, it does not need regular raking to maintain the look or the integrity of the surface, and the surface is versatile enough to fit around modern properties and older buildings alike.

Hoggin is commonly used to manage footpaths to properties owned and cared for by the National Trust, particularly those with parks or botanical gardens where a lot of people want to walk around these natural areas but a more conventional footpath style such as tarmac or concrete would be inappropriate.

It has gained popularity in recent years because it is considered to be a sustainable drainage surface. With a suitable sub-base, it is very capable of absorbing water, reducing the risk of standing water, puddles and surface runoff, all of which can be damaging to the paving around a property in the long run.

The only issue with its use for driveways is that heavier cars and light trucks can cause damage to the surface over a long time, so it tends to be used for paths and patios instead.