Stockport Stunner: A Landscape of Levels and Curves in Greater Manchester, UK

The Challenge: Replacing a Failing Gabion Retaining Wall

By the time Scott Houghton of Manchester-based Rosetta Hardscapes producer and installer WOTBLOCK arrived at this property in Mellor, the homeowner had already invested in a substantial retaining wall installation. The problem was that it wasn't working.

Large gabion baskets installed only months earlier had begun to fail, creating a situation that first needed to be made safe. Houghton and his team quickly removed the failed installation, cleared the site, and effectively started over.

That reset created an opportunity to reconsider more than the retaining walls. With a large property and multiple levels to work with, the homeowner and Houghton began exploring how the replacement system could help shape the entire landscape.

Work begins on the installation of the Grand Ledge retaining walls at the Mellor residence.

The Solution: Letting the Landscape Take Shape

The homeowner had initially expressed interest in WOTBLOCK's interlocking wall products, including a stone-faced option. But Houghton saw a potential drawback for a project of this scale: those systems favored straighter lines and more vertical walls. This property called for something different.

“This project, due to the size of it, needed to be softened a little bit with radiuses and the setback of Grand Ledge and Kodah,” Houghton explained.

Rosetta Hardscapes’ Grand Ledge wall gave WOTBLOCK the freedom to introduce creativity throughout the property. Curved retaining walls sweep around the different levels rather than rigidly dividing them. Radiuses soften the overall installation, while curved steps and staircases create transitions from one space to the next.

The multiple tiers provide a variety of uses and also support a separate outbuilding.

That combination of earth retention and access is especially apparent alongside the home's driveway, where a Grand Ledge wall incorporates a stairway leading to the home's entrance and a pathway to the rear patio. Rather than treating access as a separate element, the stairway became part of the retaining wall layout, creating a natural connection between the driveway and the home and its surrounds.

Stone steps integrated with the Grand Ledge wall allow access from the home’s driveway to its entrance and rear patio area.

The Project: Building Without a Fixed Finish Line

Houghton and the homeowner discussed their plans at the outset, but the direction shifted several times during the project as opportunities emerged to improve the outcome. Instead of forcing those new ideas into a predetermined layout, the WOTBLOCK team adjusted the design as they went. Grand Ledge was the dominant product throughout the project, with smaller amounts of Kodah incorporated as WOTBLOCK returned to the property, and the landscape continued to evolve.

“We sat down, and we discussed with the customer where they wanted to go. That changed a number of times throughout the project, which has been another testimony to how flexible Grand Ledge is.” –Scott Houghton, WOTBLOCK

The resulting landscape feels far removed from a conventional retaining wall replacement. Three levels create distinct areas across the property, including one with an outbuilding. Curves appear throughout the walls and staircases, creating visual connections between spaces while helping soften the scale of the installation.

Grand Ledge offers the ability to design and install contours and curves, including stairways.

As construction has given way to landscaping, those spaces have taken on even more character. Turf now covers the open areas, while bushes, hedgerows, and other plantings weave through and around the retaining walls.

Turf and hedges add beauty and function to the multiple tiers created by the Grand Ledge walls.

The Outcome: A Project Made to Be Seen

Less than two years after WOTBLOCK first encountered the failing gabion installation, the property tells a very different story.

Grand Ledge and Kodah don't simply replace the failed gabion basket retaining system. They help define a multi-level landscape where walls, staircases, planting areas, and usable spaces work together as a cohesive whole. The many curves and setbacks give the extensive installation a softer character, while the connections between levels allow for natural movement throughout the property.

It's also a project that continues to evolve. WOTBLOCK has returned to add details as the homeowner has developed the landscape, reinforcing Houghton’s point about the flexibility that first made Grand Ledge a good fit.

But likely the most meaningful measure of the outcome is that Houghton has also returned several times not to install, but to impress. The homeowner is so pleased with the transformation that he regularly allows Houghton to bring visitors to experience the project firsthand, including some from around the world.

For a site that WOTBLOCK first encountered because a newly installed gabion basket retaining wall was already failing, becoming an international showcase is quite the comeback story.