Spike vs Recessed vs Brick Lights
Spike lights for borders and anything that might move. Recessed ground lights for paving, terraces and driveways where nothing can stick up. Brick lights for steps, retaining walls and doorways where you want the light without seeing the source. Most gardens use all three.
| Spike | Recessed | Brick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best location | Borders, planting, lawn edges | Paving, driveways, terraces | Walls, steps, entrances |
| Re-aimable | Yes, easily | Slightly, within the housing | No |
| Glare risk | Medium — needs shielding | High if walked towards | Low |
| Maintenance | Easy — lift and service | Harder — set into hard surface | Moderate |
| Typical cost each installed | £110–£260 | £180–£420 | £150–£320 |
Please note: all prices here are estimated guide ranges for illustration only, not fixed quotes. Your actual price is confirmed in writing as part of a design visit.
Spike lights
The most flexible fitting in the garden, and the one we use most. Because a spike can be lifted and re-set, a scheme can follow planting as it matures — the uplight that suited a young tree can move out two feet as the canopy spreads. The trade-off is that spikes get knocked by hoes, dogs and children, so cable tails need slack and the fitting body needs to be solid brass or stainless, not painted aluminium.
Recessed ground lights
Visually the cleanest option — nothing to see in daylight but a flush ring. The right choice where a spike would be a trip hazard. They demand more care at install: a drainage layer beneath, a genuinely high IP rating, and a walkover-rated top if they sit in a driveway. Retrofitting them into existing paving is possible but always more work than people expect.
Brick lights
Underrated for safety. A pair of brick lights in the risers of a flight of steps makes them usable in the dark without a single visible glare source. Keep the output modest and the colour warm; a bright brick light at eye level as you climb is worse than no light at all.
Material matters more than type on the coast
Whichever fitting you choose, on an exposed Hastings or Bexhill plot the specification should be solid brass or 316 marine-grade stainless. Powder-coated aluminium looks identical on day one and is pitted and weeping within a few salt-laden winters.
Get the right fitting in the right place
A design visit specifies fitting type and material zone by zone for your garden, with a fixed itemised quote and no obligation.
Book a Design Visit
Hastings Garden Lighting Co.
