Why a mews courtyard needs a different approach

Mews houses were designed around horses and carriages, not lounging with a glass of wine, and the courtyard behind one usually shows it. Expect something between three and five metres wide, with walls or neighbouring buildings on two or three sides, a lot of hard surface, and a clear view into the windows opposite. Light levels vary enormously: a south-facing courtyard can be a genuine suntrap, whilst a north-facing one may only catch direct sun at the height of summer.

None of that is a problem if you plan for it. The trick with a compact courtyard is to treat it as an outdoor room. Fix the boundaries first, decide on one clear route through the space, then plant upwards rather than outwards. Everything below is designed for a footprint of roughly 15 to 20 square metres, which is typical of a mews garden.

Get the bones right before you plant anything

Start with the ground. A single paving material — clay brick setts, porcelain planks or sawn stone — will always look calmer than a patchwork of leftovers. Lay it with a gentle fall away from the house and include a linear drainage channel or a gravel margin at the edges, which doubles as a planting strip for lavender, thyme or hardy geraniums.

Boundaries matter just as much. Slatted timber screens or a trellis topper on existing walls give privacy without blocking light, and painting a dark brick wall in a warm pale tone can transform how much brightness the courtyard reflects back into the house. If your mews sits in a conservation area, or the property is listed, check with the local authority before altering boundary treatments or hard landscaping.

Raised beds that earn their keep

Raised beds are the single most useful addition to a mews courtyard. Build them 40 to 45 centimetres high and no more than 60 centimetres deep, so you can reach the middle from one side without stepping on the soil. Cedar, oak and powder-coated aluminium all weather well; whatever you choose, line the base with gravel for drainage and fill with a soil-based compost mixed with grit.

What grows well depends on your light. In a sunny courtyard, try tomatoes, chillies, salad leaves, herbs and strawberries. In shade, chard, rocket, parsley, chives, mint and wild strawberries all thrive. Keep mint in its own pot, sunk into the bed, or it will take over.

• Dual-purpose beds: extend the timber top edge to create a bench at 45 centimetres, which is a comfortable seat height.
• Hidden storage: leave one bed open underneath with a lift-up lid for tools, cushions and folding chairs.
• Castors: put larger planters on wheels so you can move them when the space is needed for entertaining.

Vertical planting: the only way is up

With limited floor area, walls and fences become your biggest planting opportunity. Fix trellis or a modular wall planter system, then choose climbers that suit the aspect. Sun: trachelospermum, jasmine, clematis and a climbing rose. Shade: euonymus, sarcococca, ivy and ferns, which will give you evergreen structure when everything else has died back.

Where walls are delicate, or you are renting, use freestanding obelisks, slim troughs and trough-mounted trellis instead of drilling. If you do fix into brick, use proper sleeves and stainless-steel screws, and keep the load modest — a mature climber plus a wet planter is heavier than most people expect. A narrow shelf at waist height along one wall will hold herbs at eye level and keeps the floor clear.

Foldable furniture and dual-purpose everything

Choose furniture that disappears when it is not in use. A folding bistro set, stackable stools and a wall-mounted drop-leaf table give you a full dining setup in under two square metres, then fold flat against the wall. Powder-coated aluminium and teak survive being left out; resin rattan is lighter and easier to move but should be stored over winter.

Keep at least 60 centimetres of clear walkway so the courtyard never feels like an obstacle course. Wall hooks for chairs, a slim bench with storage underneath and a hammock chair that packs into a bag all help. If you have a side return or an unused shed corner, it will pay for itself as furniture storage.

Lighting, warmth and year-round use

Good lighting adds more usable hours than any other single change. Run festoon lights along a catenary wire between two walls, add a low-voltage uplighter at the base of a climber to wash light up the brickwork, and fit a warm wall lantern beside the back door. A large mirror fixed to a shaded wall will bounce light around a dark courtyard surprisingly effectively.

Mews courtyards are often windy, so think about shelter as well as light. A retractable awning, a sail shade or a small pergola with a climbing plant will all calm the space. Outdoor sockets make a fire pit, chiminea or patio heater practical, though check whether your area is a smoke control zone before burning solid fuel. A waterproof blanket box for throws means you can sit out comfortably from March through to October, which is exactly what a well-planned mews courtyard should allow.