So these Aloe's have been growing outside for years at a friend's house in Portsmouth all year unprotected and I have recently replanted them in my garden bed in south east London (loam soil mixed with grit into the soil a few cm's below and around the roots).
What is this Aloe and any tips to get them settled in and get through winter? Assuming I don't need to protect them either as they are growing under a south facing fence.
They are Aloe x nobilis, usually called Aloe mitriformis (which it isn't) and perhaps now more properly called Aloe perfoliata although I don't know if that is set in stone. Anyway - I would personally grow it harder than you have it. Next to Hydrangea is not a good match as far as soil conditions go!
Also growing them on a slightly raised bed where they won't get any water run-off might help them. That south facing wall looks like it would have been a great help to them as a heat sink. Probably better than the fence.
