How to build a Fire Pit

Summer is just around the corner. Do you intend to spend more time outside in the garden after work? If the chilly evenings often stop your dreams, a  fire pit could be the answer. A fire provides warmth and light and you can even cook around the edge of it. Toast marshmallows whenever you want. A fire pit moves a step beyond the barbecue, but complements it perfectly! 

A Fire pit will contain your fire and prevent it spreading.
More and more super models are becoming available.


Cast iron baskets are an inexpensive way to get a really impressive evening feature- and practical too, winter or summer.



Traditionally fire pits were built of stones, bricks or clay, and it is not difficult to build one. Make a fire the focal point of your entertainment and relaxation? Have you ever met anyone who didn't like camp fires?
The first consideration is safety. You are responsible for having a camp fire burning in your garden. Exactly the same precautions must be taken as when using a ready made fire pit. The perfect spot for a fire  is on flat ground, well away from buildings, trees or boundaries.

To decide on the design, look at the ready made designs for inspiration and make sketches till you are ready to draw up an accurate plan.



A couple of feet across is plenty, and a fire can be built in a pits as small as about 40cm diameter.The materials needed are the same as for building a barbecue, but it is much easier to build a fire pit. The wall of the pit should be at least 9” in height.

Make sure the site is level before you begin. Mark the outline of the fire pit with a peg and string, then dig out a hole 60cm deep. Put in 10cm inches of gravel, then 10cm of sand. Lay the first layer of blocks round the edge, then begin a second layer. Keep filling the gaps around the edge with gravel as you build the layers to make the fire pit strong. It is also important to check the diameter of the fire pit after laying every layer of blocks to ensure that the diameter is correct Steel rings from DIY or garden suppliers can be used to hold the fire pit in place and to make sure that it is round.

As you build above ground, leave plenty of gaps between the blocks as you build so that the fire can draw air into itself.When it is ready to use, if the ground in your garden is dry, just soak the pit with a hosepipe water before starting up a fire.