A rill is one of those garden features that, without ever having even known the name for it, you've most likely admired plenty of times before.
It's no secret that a well-designed water garden can quite easily be the standout feature in even the most dramatic of garden designs. There's just something magical and transportive about the soft hum of flowing water; it elevates even the most beautiful outdoor spaces to the next level, imbuing the whole space with a gentle, spa-like serenity. And while we're certainly not turning our nose up at a classic fountain or small pond, a rill has undoubtedly cemented itself as one of our favorite water feature additions to a garden design.
But, unlike some of the smaller water features you can find, adding a rill to your garden is a relatively significant undertaking. Luckily, we've got all the intel from a seasoned water feature designer, so you can get clued up on everything you need to know before designing your own elegant, flowing rill for your garden.
For over 30 years David Harber and his team have been imagining and crafting sculptures, sundials, and water features that aim to change the way we see the world. Each piece from David Harber, whether custom-made or one of his classic designs, is unique to the person who owns it. Either it’s inscribed with names, places or thoughts that hold particular meaning, or it’s individual by nature because it is handmade using natural materials. His work can be found in some of the most prestigious places around the world, including Windsor Castle and the Millennium Dome.
What Is a Rill?
A centrally-placed rill can add a beautiful sense of symmetry to your garden design.
So, let's start with the basics — what exactly is a rill?
Well, as expert water feature designer David Harber explains, "A rill is a manmade channel to transport water from one place to another." But while this explanation may sound simple, the designs can be anything but.
Rills have been a longstanding feature in gardens and homes for several centuries, helping to provide drinking water and keep your garden hydrated. David says, "They have been used by civilisations for thousands of years as a means of providing life-sustaining water for both human consumption and irrigation."
He continues, saying, "The art of the rill was truly perfected and is indeed still exploited in the Middle Eastern countries of the world where water was the rarest and most precious of commodities."
Unlike many other water features, there is a deep-rooted history behind the rill, making it an even more significant addition to your home.
And beyond the obvious aesthetic appeal, they can fulfil a functional role, too. As David says, "Indeed, I have a small lemon farm in Southern Sicily where a rill carries water from 15 kilometres up the valley, has been delivering water to be shared on a timed basis to every farmer down the valley. This rill is over 1000 years old and has functioned since its construction."
But you don't need a community of farmers to make this a valuable addition to your home.
David explains, "The essence of a rill is to manage the rate of descent. In the instance of the rill in my Sicilian valley, it cuts through solid rock, traverses lead-lined aqueducts, and snakes sinuously around the contours of the hills."
The Design Process
"The principal consideration for the situation of the rill, other than aesthetic, is what is the change in level over the length. If the lay of the land is such that it is steeper than desired, this can be addressed with a series of stepped rills flowing into each other," says David.
As rills cannot be bought off the shelf from one of your favorite outdoor furniture brands, you'll have to spend some time working on the custom design. This process will revolve around a split between functional, logistical decisions, as well as some more aesthetically led choices.
"When designing a rill for a domestic garden setting, the obvious and ‘straightforward’ elements to be considered are where the water source is and where the rill will travel (where will it lead your eye)," says David.
While this process may not be simple, benefitting from the way in which a water feature can make your garden feel more private and serene will quickly have you forgetting about any complications.
"There are many pitfalls to a rill — but the joy of the reflected sky, the sense of serenity, and the sense of security in the presence of water outweigh the negatives, which can all be overcome," David comments.
A traditional rill would typically make use of a nearby source of running water; however, nowadays most people manufacture this source of water instead.
"On the assumption that you are not using a natural, constantly flowing water source, we need to pump water from the bottom of the rill back up to the top," says David.
He continues, explaining, "The amount of water in the rill at any one time must be accommodated for in the bottom tank when the power is turned off at the pump. There can be many hundreds of litres in the system, all needing to return to the lowest point. This reservoir can easily overflow if there isn’t sufficient capacity."
The Best Materials for Rills
The material you choose should be personal to your garden, look around and consider what would work with your wider landscaping scheme.
The materials you choose to use when designing your rill will dictate the final product of your design. However, this decision is not just an aesthetic one; you should also consider the way in which the materials react to water and exposure to constantly changing weather conditions.
"Rills are successfully made in stone, and the darker stone the better, such as slate or granite," says David.
These deep-toned stones work well as they enhance the look of the water, as David explains, "The darker the stone, the more mirror effect the water has."
However, more modern interpretations have seen the introduction of newer hardscaping materials.
"They are also made in cement, with a waterproof render, and we have in the past made them in stainless steel sections, which are in turn painted black," says David.
Additional outdoor lighting can further enhance the look of your rill, offering a warm glow come the evening, as David says, "The introduction of subtle LED waterproof lighting adds a delightful and dramatic mood in the hours of darkness."
What to Know Before Building a Rill
"We have, on many occasions, introduced a feature or focal point to give a purpose to the rill," says David.
Before setting your heart on a modern garden with a big, dramatic rill, it's important to check that your garden is properly suited to this addition.
There will be a few things a water feature designer will be looking for before installing a rill. David says the right gardens will have: "Ideally, a lawn into which we can introduce a minimal slope in the rill, a few cm over 10m. A space for a remote reservoir tank, pump, and filter, and a power supply for the pump, filter, and lighting. And, ideally, a water feed for an automatic top up as there can be a surprising degree of water loss through evaporation."
Beyond these functional necessities, there are also elements to consider that will elevate the look of your rill.
"Aesthetically, a rill reflecting the sky and leading away from the viewing point (for instance, a window in a house) is always pleasing. Interestingly, the rill will lead the eye to its end by day and night," says David.
The vehicle through which the water flows can also help to create a more unique design. David suggests, "It can arrive almost invisibly through a letterbox type shoot, but it can also be delivered, as in the faux waterfall at Buscot Park National Trust House."
He continues: "Here, the water flow is delivered by a statue of a woman. We installed this faux waterfall to seemingly run from a vast lake and then, via the garden statue of the woman, down the side of a hill to a formal garden. This faux waterfall/ rill, when viewed from one specific position, appears to be a continuous wall of water running 200 feet down a hill. It is, in fact, five relatively small individual water walls, aligned meticulously to create the illusion of one single flowing entity."
There is a vast world of designs to explore when creating your own rill, and the water feature designer you work with can help you along this journey, directing you towards a final product that reflects the interior design style of your home.
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