news
With pernicious waterlogging problems having haunted their ground for a long time, precipitating the remedial works conducted during summer 2024, Ashby Ivanhoe FC hadn’t played a home game since November 2023. Following the successful installation of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain in August 2024 however, the pitch has recovered well, with a healthy grass sward establishing over the drain lines, opening the door for football to return to Ivanhoe’s NFU Sports Ground.
With the recent heavy downpours making summer seem like a distant memory, sports pitches across the UK will be facing their first real drainage challenge of the season. As such, it seemed like a great opportunity to check in on the new Football Foundation funded pitch drainage system installed at Ashby Ivanhoe FC in August to check in on the performance of the Hydraway Sportsdrain.
Ashby Ivanhoe FC is an ambitious club that is looking to make meaningful investments in its home ground. A key objective in this regard has been the installation of a new pitch drainage system; this will not only improve the quality of the playing surface, but also guard against fixture cancellations brought about through waterlogging, which can have serious detrimental impact on the finances of a grassroots club – whether through fines, or diminished matchday revenue. To this end, the club sought funding from the Football Foundation, and expert third-party advice from a number of sources including as the Grounds Management Association. With Turfdry’s name cropping up time and time again, the club eventually got in touch with the firm to discuss the potential improvements to its home ground. Impressed with both the technical superiority of Hydraway Sportsdrain, as well as the passion and enthusiasm of Turfdry’s team, Ashby Ivanhoe FC was convinced that Turfdry was the best contractor to deliver the most cost-effective improvements to their pitch.
Although much of Turfdry’s business with housebuilding firms involves the full design & build of new facilities, the company’s natural turf specialism is sometimes called upon for more focussed works, such as the recent installation of a Hydraway Sportsdrain drainage system at Greenstone Primary School, currently under construction by Stepnell in Ellistown, Leicestershire. The school is named after local engineer William Stenson, who defied conventional wisdom by breaking through the layer of granite – known locally as ‘greenstone’ at the time’ in order to access the rich seams of coal that lay beneath it, unlocking the expansion of industry in nearby Coalville and the surrounding area. Whilst the school’s name looks to the past for inspiration, the facilities themselves have been designed to embrace the principles of the increasingly popular ‘forest school’ model, which seeks to use the outdoor environment as a key part of the school’s activities, giving pupils a richer, more holistic, and engaging learning experience.
Hazelwood School is an award-winning independent prep school set in 25 acres of woodland near Oxted, Surrey. With an emphasis on holistic, integrated learning that supplements classroom education with thoughtful use of outdoor space, the site provides a wide variety of outdoor spaces to provide a broader, more varied scope for its pupils. Whilst many of these spaces are designed to complement traditional classroom subjects, there is of course excellent provision for sports, which are held in high regard by the school, with pupils receiving up to six hours of physical education per week; however, despite the recent addition of an all-weather pitch to the site, the staff were keen to revitalise their natural turf sports facilities, which have been suffering from persistent waterlogging problems that have been exacerbated in recent years.
With Turfdry’s impeccable reputation for providing long-term, cost-effective drainage solutions for educational establishments across the UK, the firm was a natural choice for the school. Though investment in other parts of the site meant that a number of years passed between the initial site visit and the eventual work, the school remained in contact with Turfdry in the intervening years, and demonstrating great enthusiasm to proceed with the works once the necessary funds were available.
Located just a short distance outside of Wigan, Aspull RFC is a bustling local rugby club boasting 15 teams across various age groups. With so much rugby being played, it is no wonder than their facilities have struggled to keep up with the demand for game-time, especially given the increasing levels of rainfall in an already-notoriously wet part of the country. Despite the best efforts of the club’s ground staff, they have been struggling in recent winters to keep the pitches playable, facing cancelled fixtures following failed pitch inspections. In addition to disrupting the season – and potentially incurring fines from their leagues – fixture cancellations can also diminish the social side of a local sports club, as well as put a dent in their budget with less demand for the bar facilities that help to fund it.
With the effects of climate change set to continue unabated, the club resolved to invest in its home ground through the installation of a new drainage system that would help guarantee a higher volume of playable fixtures throughout the year. To this end, they contacted Turfdry, whose great success providing transformative improvements to existing rugby pitches made them a natural choice for a club looking to maximise the value of their investment in seeking meaningful, long-term development.
Though the initial earthworks phase of the project is complete, the initial delays to the project’s getting started, combined with the fact that there is no irrigation facility on-site, has meant that the drainage, cultivation and seeding works have been delayed to ensure the establishing grass sward is not compromised by any hot and dry spells that might be brought by the summer weather. As a result the site has been fenced off to preserve the work completed thus far, and to secure the site more generally.
After a slow start to the project due to the relentlessly wet ground conditions through the spring, Turfdry’s sports pitch construction project at Crest Nicholson’s Highlands Park development in Henley-on-Thames has made fantastic progress in recent weeks.
Following the screening of the material on site, and the removal of detritus from the pitch plateau area, the team was able to get to work spreading the mountain of imported topsoil over the finished sub-base. A good depth of high-quality topsoil is vital to the construction of a natural turf sports pitch, and with the paucity of available material on-site, the importing of additional material was crucial to the success of this project.
Turfdry’s specialism in natural turf construction makes the firm an ideal partner for housebuilding companies looking to add sports facilities to their new developments. With the main construction phase of its Highlands Park development in Henley-on-Thames winding down, Crest Nicholson contacted Turfdry in 2023 to explore their options for a new natural turf sports pitch, with a package of works agreed to commence in early 2024.
Set in the foothills of the Peak District, Horsley Lodge has been offering challenging and picturesque golf since it was built in 1863 by the Earl of Sitwell – as a wedding present for his son no less! Having been recently acquired by investment group Charjen Capital, the club is undergoing a healthy period of investment, with a £500,000 investment plan already having been undertaken by Derbyshire-based entrepreneur Marc Bough in the months since the acquisition. “We saw an opportunity to own one of Derbyshire’s finest golf courses in a stunning location, and have grand plans to enhance the golf course itself”, said Bough, “as well as upgrade the hotel and venue space in a sensitive and sustainable manner.”
Central to the ambition to improve the course is the development of a long-term drainage strategy, which has been spearheaded by Turfdry. Following a full topographical survey of the entire course, key problem areas that are beset by persistent waterlogging were identified by the club’s management as priorities for improvement. Following numerous site visits to supplement the topographical information provided by the survey with ‘on-the-ground’ understanding of the areas in question, Turfdry developed drainage designs for the 6th & 7th fairways, as well as outlining key improvements to the adjacent ditch network that would be crucial in providing a proper outfall for the collected water.
Aston Wood Golf Club – an 18-hole championship course in Sutton Coldfield to the north of Birmingham – first contacted Turfdry in 2021, looking for guidance as to how best to tackle the widespread waterlogging issues that were undermining the playability of the course during the winter months.
During the initial site visit conducted by Turfdry’s MD Melvyn Taylor, the wide ranging scope of the drainage issues was revealed, with club staff indicating that some mismanagement by the previous ownership had likely contributed to the growing scale of the problems they were now facing. With this in mind, Turfdry recommended the club pursue a long-term drainage strategy, considering the entire site’s drainage holistically, rather than focus on the specific areas that were causing the most concern. This philosophy is central to Turfdry’s approach to golf course drainage improvements, but was particularly relevant in this case, where carefully considered investment would be required to deliver the widespread improvements necessary to achieve the club’s vision.
Turfdry’s specialism in natural turf construction makes the firm an ideal partner for housebuilding companies looking to add sports facilities to their new developments. With the main construction phase of its Highlands Park development in Henley-on-Thames winding down, Crest Nicholson contacted Turfdry in 2023 to explore their options for a new natural turf sports pitch, with a package of works agreed to commence in early 2024.
As a project that been an active concern for many years, Turfdry were delighted to finally get the go-ahead for sports pitch construction works at OD Murphy field in Telford, Shropshire.
Although the site was already valued by the local community as an open green space with an active ecosystem of fauna, the council sought to enhance the space further through the construction of a new, high-quality football pitch. The proposals also included the construction of a new perimeter path, car parking area, and wildflower bund to further enhance the local ecology, and enhance the aesthetics of the space for all users.
Following successful works in late summer 2022, Turfdry was delighted to be invited to return to The Savill Garden to expand its drainage improvements.
When Turfdry was first engaged by The Crown Estate to develop drainage improvements for The Savill Garden, a number of areas were identified as posing persistent problems. In order to manage the disruption to the Garden's activities, as well as to assess the effectiveness of the solutions provided, The Crown Estate opted to split the works into multiple phases. As such, we were delighted to be invited to return to the Garden this summer to expand the new drainage system into Phase 2.
Dave Taylor - Course Manager at The Bristol Golf Club - first approached Turfdry regarding potential course drainage improvements in November 2021. Following a change in the club's ownership, significant investment had already been made into other key areas of operational activities, including new greenkeeping machinery and equipment, so the generation of a new drainage strategy was a crucial 'next step' in the club's continued development.
The use of Turfdry's unique Hydraway Sportsdrain is most often motivated by the superior drainage performance provided by its rapid water intake rate, or the longevity delivered by its high-quality construction; however, some sites have particular features that present additional challenges for successful, cost-effective drainage solutions, for which Hydraway is uniquely suited.
The ongoing wetlands construction project at Oakwood Park in Enfield continues to progress well, with many of the larger wetland cells taking shape as the construction phase continues.
In addition to its commitment to enhancing the natural environment, Enfield Council has a well-established commitment to historical documentation, and works in concert with Enfield Archaeological Society to inspect and document excavation projects when possible. In keeping with its goal of delivering projects in a responsible, sustainable, and thoughtful manner, Turfdry is happy to help integrate these activities into its projects when requested, improving the natural environment for the future, whilst ensuring nothing of value is lost to the past.
Nestled in the bounds of Windsor Great Park, The Savill Garden has been recognised as one of the finest ornamental gardens in Britain since its creation in the 1930s. Boasting 35 acres of interconnected gardens and woodland, it offers visitors a kaleidoscopic journey through a bountiful selection of rare and beautiful flora.
Despite the diligent maintenance efforts of The Crown Estate however, some sections of the garden have begun to suffer from persistent waterlogging. This not only has a detrimental impact on some of the plant life, but also disrupts visitors and their ability to enjoy the gardens to their fullest.
With a passionate commitment to making pro-active improvements to the natural environment, Enfield Council is one of Turfdry's favourite clients to work with. Having delivered numerous drainage and construction projects in the borough over the past decade - including the award-winning wetlands project at Firs Farm Park - we were delighted to receive an invitation to tender for the construction of a new wetlands network in Oakwood Park.
Following a complex construction - taking into account high-pressure pipelines, wildly fluctuating weather conditions, and the disruption wrought by a global pandemic - Turfdry is delighted at the completion of its sports pitch construction project on behalf of Barrett David Wilson homes for Salesian School in Chertsey.
Though delivery of the project has thrown up its fair share of challenges, Turfdry's carefully considered, holistic approach to the construction of high-quality, cost-effective sports facilities has resulted in pitches to be truly proud of.
Sundridge Park Golf Club boast two eighteen-hole courses tucked away in a beautiful pocket of greenery in an otherwise bustling and urban part of Kent, and has been offering picturesque and challenging golf to members for over a century. In recent years however, one of the biggest challenges on the course – for both golfers and greenkeepers alike – has been increasingly waterlogged greens, diminishing an otherwise superlative golfing experience.
Following a competitive tender process, Turfdry were appointed by the University of Warwick to install new drainage systems on a trio of sports pitches as part of the ongoing £49 million investment project in its sporting facilities. This project is driven by the objective of enriching its students’ lives, empowering and inspiring them to embrace the opportunities offered by sport as part of a well-rounded life, to make the University into the country’s “most physically active campus”..
Located in the historic capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, Repton School has a strong lineage of both academic and sporting excellence, boasting a number of international and Olympic athletes amongst its alumni, as well as internationally renowned figures such as Jeremy Clarkson and Roald Dahl. Taking great pride in not just sporting excellence, but also the integration of sport into a well-rounded and rewarding education, the school has invested over £6 million in its sporting facilities since 2018 to lay the foundations for future generations of budding athletes and sporting stars.
With a reputation for delivering high quality sports pitch construction on-time and within budget, Turfdry’s clientele of major construction firms continues to grow – most recently with the completion of a new sports pitch project in Nottinghamshire for Persimmon Homes.
The Environment Agency’s Salmons Brook flood prevention scheme – constructed in 2014 in response to dramatic increases in high-volume storm events and residential flooding - was called into action for the first time in early 2021. As per the scheme’s design, this deluged the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th & 18th holes, leaving them flooded up to 3 feet deep in places.
Turfdry have begun the installation of an extensive drainage system on behalf of Exeter Athletic RFC, covering three pitches at their Bravelands home. Following the announcement of a landmark partnership between the club and Exeter College in August of this year, investment is being made into the pitches to provide top quality pitches that can withstand not only the elements, but also the high volume of rugby they will host: not only the fixtures for the club, but also those for the Exeter Chiefs Rugby Academy as well.
The Leader’s Council of Great Britain & Northern Ireland is chaired by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, and is tasked with both celebrating and empowering business leaders across the country. Turfdry MD Melvyn Taylor was invited onto the most recent episode of the Leader’s Council podcast to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities of business in such uncertain times.
Melbourne Rugby Club, in Derbyshire, is looking forward to the welcome winter sound of cash registers ringing in the bar, now that its 1st and 2nd Team rugby pitches have had new Hydraway Drainage systems installed by Turfdry.
Though Turfdry’s work constructing the facilities at Hanley Town FC Academy wasn’t inspired by whispered words on the wind, but rather by the firm’s impeccable reputation, the famous phrase from 1989’s Field of Dreams – “Build it, and he will come” – could not have been more fitting given Hanley Town FC’s recent signing of The Greatest Football Player Who Has Ever Lived Or Ever Shall Live: Ricardo Fuller.*
As though to mock Turfdry’s efforts to combat the spongey, saturated ground conditions that plagued their pitch construction site at Orleton Lane, Telford, the record-breakingly wet autumn weather was so dramatic that it necessitated the temporary suspension of operations due to the impossibility of construction work on the sodden ground conditions.
Sherborne St John Football Club, based in Basingstoke, has an excellent reputation for strong youth football development, boasting a dozen teams affiliated to the Hampshire FA. Despite the good reputation of its home ground – at Chute Recreation Ground – as being a good playing surface, it has been suffering in recent seasons with persistent waterlogging that has undermined not only individual fixtures, but also the broader operations and reputation of the club.
With substantial drainage improvements being designed to last around 30 years, a crucial ambition of the waterlogging mitigation project was to maximise the cost-effectiveness of the drainage installation, so that the hard work of the club’s volunteers in organising it would continue to pay off for future generations of the club’s players.
Sutton Coldfield Juniors FC the latest club to embrace the technical superiority of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain as the long-term solution to pitch waterlogging.
Coming as part of a period of consistent investment, which included the construction of brand-new pavilion facilities, the new drainage system - primarily composed of Hydraway Sportsdrain installed at 3m spacings – also included the installation of a number of additional arterial drains to facilitate more cost-effective drainage improvements to the rest of the site, which is located to the rear of Bishop Walsh School.
With Turfdry rapidly approaching the 25th anniversary of its first ever project - a football pitch drainage installation at Garth Park for Rhondda Borough Council, when the entire business comprised himself and Stuart Wormleighton, who remains Turfdry’s Site Manger to this day - it is an increasingly rare sight to see MD Melvyn Taylor digging trenches in the rain.
With the shocking events of the global COVID-19 pandemic throwing much of the world into disarray, there is a dark shadow of uncertainty looming over industry, the economy, and – most significantly – our collective capacity to react to these unprecedented times in a way that minimises the risk to life.
We are pleased that - following consultation with Health & Safety professionals, as well as with the regularly updated government guidelines – Turfdry has integrated ‘COVID-Aware’ practices into every aspect of its workflow, and can confidently deliver projects in a practical, and above-all safe manner.
After the resounding success of the greens drainage works carried out by Turfdry on all 18 greens of Sundridge Park’s West Course in 2015 & 2016, the club had engaged Turfdry to begin two phases of greens drainage to cover all 18 holes of the East Course. However, wet winters have contributed to increased fairway drainage issues on the West Course’s fairways, leaving many of the newly dry greens stranded. Consequently, the club opted to delay the drainage works to the East Course by twelve months in order to focus its efforts on the West Course, installing fairway drainage in key problem areas over four holes.
It’s been another busy couple of days at the NEC, with the Institute of Groundsmanship’s SALTEX show giving Turfdry an opportunity to talk with visitors from all over the world about our nationally renowned natural pitch construction projects, as well as the revolutionary drainage performance of Hydraway. More than that though, the show represents an excellent time to take the pulse of the industry, with people from every role at every level of grounds management roaming the show floor, each with their unique perspectives.
Establishment of the newly constructed pitches at Kingley Gate is progressing nicely, with ongoing maintenance of the project being delivered by Turfdry.
Although a pitch’s construction lays the most fundamental foundation of its quality, the careful, rigorous maintenance required to establish a healthy, durable sward should not be overlooked. Although some of our clients opt to manage this themselves, the majority entrust this process to Turfdry’s nationally recognised expertise in the field.
Although the ripping operations have successfully removed the extraneous and dangerous material from the pitch plateau, the work to finish the construction of new sports pitches at Orleton Lane continues to develop complications. Fortunately, Turfdry didn’t develop its sterling reputation for pitch construction by shying away from a challenge!
Turfdry constructed a new pitch for Great Harwood Rovers FC in 2016, on behalf of Reilly Developments had purchased the club’s existing site for commercial development. Having been engaged to undertake a topographical survey once a suitable site had been identified, Turfdry designed a pitch layout to Sport England recommended gradients, and 3D land remodelling using sophisticated LSS software.
Turfdry’s expertise in sports pitch construction has been called upon once more, with Telford Council engaging the firm to brings its specialist knowledge to bear on a pitch construction project at Orelton Lane in Wellington.
With the high-pressure pipelines safely secured from disturbance by the protective easement, work on the pitch construction at Salesian School has progressed well. Good progress has been made on the formation of the pitch plateaus’ subsoil layers, which was achieved using Komatsu excavators fitted with GPS machine-control. This links the machines to the computer design software via satellite, delivering precise data that relates the actual construction to the 3D design model, facilitating accurate and efficient construction.
A routine site visit to check in on the progress of sward establishment at Barratt Homes’ Kingley Gate development near Littlehampton has revealed excellent growth on the new pitch plateau. Whilst coverage is not yet entirely uniform, we are delighted with the site’s progress, and look forward to handing over some more top-class facilities to Arun Council later this year.
Following the resounding success of the drainage improvements carried out at Fulham FC’s Motspur Park training ground earlier in the year, Turfdry were happy to be called on once more by the club to install additional Hydraway drainage in some additional areas of the training ground that suffer from unsightly waterlogging.
With Turfdry having delivered on its Sterling reputation for pitch construction with its recent project in Littlehampton, the firm has once again been engaged to construct new sports pitches on behalf of Barrett David Wilson Homes as part of a Section 106 Agreement - this time for Salesian School, Chertsey.
After the resounding success of the greens drainage works carried out by Turfdry on all 18 greens of Sundridge Park’s West Course in 2015 & 2016, the club had engaged Turfdry to begin two phases of greens drainage to cover all 18 holes of the East Course. However, wet winters have contributed to increased fairway drainage issues on the West Course’s fairways, leaving many of the newly dry greens stranded. Consequently, the club opted to delay the drainage works to the East Course by twelve months in order to focus its efforts on the West Course, installing fairway drainage in key problem areas over four holes.
Following the success of Turfdry’s works at Jim Peters Athletics Stadium in 2016, the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham has engaged the firm once more, this time to install its unique Hydraway Sportsdrain on the playing field at Robert Clack Lower School.
Turfdry’s work constructing new sports pitch facilities for Barratt Homes’ new Kingley Gate housing development near Littlehampton continues to progress well, despite some occasionally challenging conditions brought about by intense periods of heavy rainfall.
Turfdry’s work constructing new sports pitch facilities for Barratt Homes’ new Kingley Gate housing development near Littlehampton continues to progress well, despite some occasionally challenging conditions brought about by intense periods of heavy rainfall.
Thanks to the cooperative and collaborative spirit of the Hanwell Town FC staff, the pitch improvement works at the club’s Perivale Stadium ground have been completed by Turfdry.
Working in tandem with the installation of a new irrigation system, the Turfdry team have installed a pitch drainage system with Hydraway Sportsdrain at 3m spaces, connected to a 100mm perforated plastic pipe carrier drain. To help keep the club’s overall costs as lean as possible, the irrigation main was installed in the same trenches as the carrier drain and the lateral drains running along the touchlines.
The drainage improvement works at Fulham FC’s Motspur Park training ground - which has seen the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain installed on a persistently waterlogged section of their training area - have been completed.
Following the club’s successful campaign in the 2017/18 Championship season, which saw them gain promotion back into the Premier League via the playoffs after a dramatic run of good form, Fulham FC were looking to make some drainage improvements to their training facility.
The unique benefits of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain continues to catch industry attention, with the firm recently having begun work on an installation at Hanwell Town FC, as part of a broader suite of pitch improvement funded by an FA grant.
Golf course drainage specialist Turfdry has installed comprehensive new drainage systems into the 11th and 16th greens at Shirley Park GC, Croydon, in late September 2017. Following re-turfing of the drain lines by Turfdry’s team, combined with care and attention from greenkeeping staff, the greens were back in play within 9 and 7 days, respectively. This beats a 15-year-old record relating to the 10th green at Sunningdale’s New Course, where re-turfing by the greenkeeping staff following installation of the unique Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain, enabled the green to be successfully returned to play in less than three weeks.
Hot on the heels of the recently announced Turfdry Rugby Pitch Drainage Initiative for RFU Affiliated Clubs, one of the firm’s drainage teams has completed the installation of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain for Hellingly RFC, Sussex. The dual-use site - which also serves as the home of Hellingly Cricket Club during the summer months - suffers from persistent waterlogging throughout the winter, not only having a significant impact on the quality of the playing surface, but also regularly causing fixture cancellations.
West Kent Golf Club, Orpington, is the latest convert to the Turfdry Drainage System providing the best long-term solution to the problem of waterlogged clay-based golf greens. Three greens (the 4th, 8th, and 15th) were drained in September 2017.
Turfdry is extremely sad to report the tragic death of one of its former employees, Zsolt Rabi, who died following a severe reaction to a hornet sting in Hungary on 14th July. Zsolt was one of the most likeable people that you could ever wish to meet.
Turfdry has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Concord College, and was delighted to hear that they have nominated the firm for the '2017 IOG Contractor of the Year' award. We are very proud of the final facilities, and hope that they serve to inspire a new generation of the school's athletes.
Turfdry's exemplary reputation for delivering industry-leading drainage solutions has seen their list of satisfied golf course clients grow once more, with the Turfdry Drainage System being successfully installed at Selsdon Park Golf Club. Employing the advanced technology of Hydraway Sportsdrain, this drainage system offers increased performance over conventional plastic pipe, whilst simultaneously having a minimised installation footprint thanks to its being laid into 60mm wide trenches.
With the design and construction of new sports facilities involving a great deal of time, energy, and expenditure, the expertise of a specialist contractor such as Turfdry is invaluable in securing optimal outcomes for projects. However, the natural disparity of specialist knowledge in this relationship can sometimes leave clients at a disadvantage, deferring to the 'expert knowledge' delivered by the contractor, who could potentially leverage this disparity to financial gain - at the cost of the final quality of the project.
Enfield Council have once again turned to Turfdry's expertise for the construction of a flood relief channel and associated drainage installation project in Gough Park - now part of the Forty Hall Park & Estate, and former site of the historically significant Gough House.
Looking to enhance its new 'Aspire' housing development in Bedford, Orbit Homes contacted Turfdry to design & construct a new sports pitch as part of the estate. Turfdry provided a full 'design & build' package for the pitch, which included a semi-automatic irrigation system, and the unique Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain.
2016 saw Turfdry take on its largest single project to date: the transformation of fields adjacent to the prestigious Concord College in Shrewsbury into top class sports and leisure facilities, including pitches, an athletics track, and subtly landscaped surrounds to provide a visually attractive aesthetic that fits with the school's heritage as well as the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside.
Following successful works at Enfield Golf Club in 2014 and 2015, Turfdry was delighted to be invited back to the club for further drainage works in spring 2017.Impressed by the superb performance of the Turfdry Greens Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain since its initial installation on the course in 2014 as part of a flood mitigation scheme, the Golf Club has sought to expand drainage improvements across the course to help provide an optimal golfing experience for its members year-round.
Turfdry’s expertise in sports pitch construction was recently called upon by Riley Developments for a sports pitch design & construction project in Great Harwood, Lancashire. With a new housing development being constructed on the site of Great Harwood Rovers FC’s existing pitches, Riley Developments contacted Turfdry to deliver the superlative natural grass sports facilities for which it is increasingly known.
Spurred by the rise in residential flooding due to the dramatic rain events of the winter of 2013-14, Enfield Council sought to construct a flood barrier to the east of Firs Farm Park. In fitting with the Council’s holistic design philosophy, this project was combined with the restoration of a river that formerly ran through the park but had been diverted into an underground culvert decades ago - the resulting spoil from the excavation of the river being used to form the barrier.
Following the design and construction of a new sports pitch for Orbit Homes - the UK's second largest housing association developer - on the site of their new 'Aspire' housing development in Bedford, Turfdry was delighted to receive an invitation to the facility’s grand opening event attended by Dave Hodgson, the Mayor of Bedford.
As part of its mission of building communities, not just new housing developments, Orbit Homes wanted to incorporate a new full-sized football pitch into its development at Norse Road, Bedford and decided at the outset that it needed to employ a sports turf ‘design and build’ specialist to ensure that the quality of the football pitch matched the quality of its new homes.
Concord College, in the heart of the beautiful Shropshire countryside, is a prestigious institution committed to providing its pupils with the finest education; given the firm’s exemplary record of delivering carefully considered and impeccably executed ‘Design & Build’ projects, Turfdry was a natural choice for the School’s ambitions for a new series of sports pitches.
The wet winter of 2015/16 took a hard toll on the rugby pitches at Exhibition Fields, owned by Exeter County Council, but also the home of Exeter Saracens RUFC. The 2nd XV pitch and adjacent training areas were unusable throughout the winter and were difficult to walk on - never mind play competitive sport.
Following substantial investment in East London’s sporting amenities in the build-up to the 2012 Olympics, Mayesbrook Park offers a wide range of sports facilities to local residents and teams. However, the infield of the Jim Peters track & field Stadium – one of the venues for the Invicus games, supported by Prince Harry, and which also sees football usage during the winter months – remained an uneven and often waterlogged surface.
Nestled in the heart of the Peak District, Glenbrook Outdoor Activity Centre provides a haven of activity for Girlguiding UK, with groups regularly using its extensive residential facilities and camping fields for weekends of outdoor pursuits. Unfortunately however, the area's picturesque beauty is often offset by heavy rainfall, which has been rendering the site a muddy bog when faced with campers and Girlguides, limiting the facility's utility.
With a heritage stretching back to the 14th century, Dyrham Park Country Club seeks to provide nothing short of excellence for its members, boasting a course designed by C.K. Cotton, and ranked by Top 100 Golf Courses. Given this desire to offer top quality golf, the continued issues with standing water on a number of the course’s greens have proven increasingly intolerable to members and greens staff alike.
Following the successful installation of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain on a further 6 greens at Enfield Golf Club, Turfdry was delighted to sponsor one of the tees for club’s recent hosting of the Jamega Pro Golf Tour.
Following the tremendous success of Turfdry's work at Firs Farm Park in Enfield last year - which saw the restoration of a watercourse that had previously been diverted underground, and the construction of a flood barrier - Turfdry's work constructing wetlands and performing playing field improvements at the nearby Pymmes Park in Edmonton has gone well.
Delighted with the effectiveness demonstrated over the winter by the comprehensive Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain installed on all 18 fairways of its South Course in 2014, The Rayleigh Club re-engaged Turfdry in 2015 to design and implement drainage improvements to the East Course, and expand the earthworks elements on the South Course.
Following a rigorous period of post-construction care and maintenance, to bring the facilities into prime condition for use, Turfdry was delighted to officially handover the brand new sports pitches constructed for Stoke-on-Trent City Council in 2014.
Following the tremendous success of Turfdry’s work at Firs Farm Park in Enfield last year - which saw the restoration of a watercourse that had previously been diverted underground, and the construction of a flood barrier - Turfdry has again been contracted by Enfield Council, this time to construct wetlands and undertake playing field improvements at Pymmes Park, Edmonton.
Turfdry was recently contacted by the historic Chelsea Physic Garden - the oldest botanic garden in the capital, under Grade 1 Listed protection and beneficiary of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales - which seeks to demonstrate the medicinal, economic, cultural and environmental significance of plants to humankind.
As part of Turfdry's football pitch 'Design & Build' project for Stoke-on-Trent City Council at Abbey Lane, S-O-T, an independent site assessment visit was made by the Institute of Groundsmanship's Regional Advisor for the West Midlands, Kevin Duffill on 10th June 2015, to check on the ongoing establishment of the pitches, which are due for handover to the client in August 2015.
Turfdry carried out successful works at Enfield Golf Club in 2014, installing a flood mitigation scheme designed to return the course to play as quickly as possible following flood conditions brought about by the Environment Agency’s construction of a residential flood barrier at the eastern boundary of the course.
Last year, Turfdry installed a comprehgensive remediation scheme as part of the Salmon's Brook Flood Attenuation Scheme (FAS) at Enfield Golf Club, where the Environment Agency had constructed a substantial flood defence structure to protect against residential flooding in the area - at the cost of transforming the golf course into a flood plain.
Great Barr Golf Club, Birmingham - one of Turfdry's many satisfied UK golf course clients - has brought the firm in again to resolve drainage issues on the 464 yard Par 5 opening hole. The landing area for the second shot has been a long-term drainage problem despite several unsuccessful attempts to find a solution.
The Turfdry team recently attended BIGGA's BTME 2015 in the picturesque Yorkshire town of Harrogate to exhibit the wide range drainage and construction services the company has to offer.
Continuing its strong working relationship with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Turfdry has completed the construction phase of the new sports pitches adjacent to Hanley Town F.C., on Abbey Lane, Abbey Hulton.
Continuing the progression of the Passmores Acadmey playing field from a twisted, poorly draining patch of land into top quality sports facilities, Turfdry recently visited the site to carry out further maintenance in the form of a 'cut and collect'.
A recent site visit to Passmores Academy - where comprehensive earthworks and the installation of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain transformed the school's formerly 'twisted' and poorly draining field into sports facilities to be proud of - revealed that the sward establishment has progressed well since the seeding in May.
Turfdry was met recently with the good fortune to be contacted by John Heyworth - Chairman of Aspatria RUFC and IOG Vitax Supaturf Volunteer Groundsman of the Year 2013. Following the successful installation of The Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain on Aspatria's 2nd XV pitch, John has been full of praise for its effectiveness, describing the system as "a reveation".
In addition to their largest drainage project to date - the comprehensive installation of The Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain on all 18 holes of The Rayleigh Club's championship standard South Course - Turfdry is also constructing a number of new ponds, in addition to making modifications to existing water features to maintain a uniformly quality aesthetic across the course.
As part of Enfield Council's drive to make environmental improvements to the local area, Turfdry has begun work on a river restoration project at Firs Farm Playing Fields. Won on competitive tender, the works will see the excavation of a watercourse that stretches between the north-west and north-east corners of the park, and will carry the water that has - for the past fifty years or so - been diverted into an underground culvert.
Although the weather is treating us to a little more sunshine before the summer's out, the members of Enfield Golf Club will be pleased that Turfdry have completed work on phase 1 of their flood mitigation scheme, which has been carried out in conjunction with the Environment Agency and Enfield Borough Council.
With their current work at The Rayleigh Club being the Turfdry team's largest drainage project to date, they have been pulling out all of the stops to keep up the excellent rate of progress already set. Keen to balance the demands of such a substantial installation with the day-to-day activities of the golf club, along with the other Turfdry projects up and down the country, the team worked into the night to complete trenching the 100mm plastic pipe mains on the 3rd and 4th holes of the Rayleigh Club's championship South Course.
The Turfdry team are currently enjoying the scenic surrounds of The Rayleigh Club, Essex, where they have begun work on their largest and most ambitious drainage project yet: a comprehensive installation of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain on all 18 fairways of the championship standard South Course.
Turfdry's work at the under construction Beardall Fields Primary School in Nottinghamshire is coming to a close, with the extensive earthworks and installation of a Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain completed.
Whilst the typically patchy weather of British summertime delayed the seeding and cultivation work at Passmores Academy, the recent stretch of dry weather has provided the perfect opportunity to seed the re-levelled playing field following completion of the earthworks, and the installation of a Turfdry Drainage System with Hydraway Sportsdrain at 5-metre centres, in early May.
The transformation of the derelict and overgrown land adjacent to the Cardinal Wiseman School in Middlesex into leading-class sports facilities was recently completed by Turfdry.
With the wettest winter on record now firmly fading into memory, Turfdry has been able to return to Passmores Academy - seen above before Turfdry's work began - and resume work on the sports facilities, which was interrupted last year by the weather.
Turfdry has begun work at Enfield Golf Club as part of a broader flood prevention and mitigation scheme in conjunction with the Environment Agency and Enfield Borough Council.Following the dramatic upturn in major weather events experienced nationwide in recent years, the Environment Agency is constructing a barrier to protect homes in the local area from flooding.
To keep up with rising demand for school places, Beardall Fields Primary School in Nottinghamshire will move to brand new facilities in time for the start of the new school year. In keeping with the sleek, modern design of the school itself – currently under construction by Kier Group – Turfdry has again been contracted to provide top class sports facilities, following the success of a similar project for Nottinghamshire County Council at Candleby Lane School, Cotgrave in 2008.
Melvyn Taylor, MD of Turfdry, was recently invited to speak at the Chilterns & Home Counties spring meeting of the GCMA at Ashridge Golf Club.
Working for Galliford Try and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Turfdry is currently working on the construction of three football pitches – a senior, junior, and miniature pitch – on land adjacent to the existing pitch used by Hanley Town FC.