Hi. First post from an amateur gardener!

I have a old brickmakers cottage on farmland and am trying to create a
higgledy-piggedy cottage style/courtyard garden of my 3m x 3m front
garden, prob with some brick/slabs and gravel on ground, maybe a
little planting and then lots of pots.

I want to either create a path or a paving area with old bricks. I was
looking to buy reclaimed bricks from ebay but keep reading on the net
about frost proof etc - am I better buying modern clay pavers? if so
any recommendations for the weathered old look? Also do I need a layer
of hardcore under it or would sand suffice?