Plotting the root to landscaping success at Wentworth Castle
When Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Heritage Trust embarked on a major project to restore the 500-acre estate in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, sympathetic landscaping of the beautiful grounds was integral to the success of the project. In order to provide a soft, ‘green’ solution that still had the structural strength to withstand up to 70,000 visitors a year, trustees turned to Tarmac Topsport’s Loksand Rootzone system.
Wentworth Castle, a stunning Grade 1 listed building, sits within a magnificent park and garden. Now a popular leisure and tourist destination, by the end of the twentieth century it was in need of urgent repair after years of neglect. The Wentworth Castle & Stainborough Park Heritage Trust, which was set up in 2002 to restore and develop the estate, has raised over £15.2 million to fund its conservation, with a major grant of £10.3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Restoration, Restoration, Restoration
As part of the Castle’s restoration at Wentworth, landscaping work has focused on the conservation of 50 acres of historic ‘pleasure gardens,’ along with Stainborough Castle, a gothic folly with panoramic views across the estate, which came to national attention in the BBC’s Restoration programme.
“Landscaping and sensitive product selection has been critical in both of the landscaping work and restoration of Stainborough,” says Paul Johnson, fundraising and promotions officer at Wentworth Castle. “Pathways in high footfall areas like these must cater for high pedestrian usage now that the attraction is open to the public once more.
Sonnets to speed machines
“The intention was to use the restored Castle and grounds as a venue for outdoor performances and plays during the summer months and we may also use the castle grounds as a green car park for occasional classic car shows in the future,” continues Johnson.
Hilary Taylor Landscape Associates, project consultants on the Wentworth restoration project, were tasked to work to this challenging brief by specifying landscaping products which were suitable for conservation, but which also offered durability and good drainage performance.
To help deliver the brief, the company recommended Tarmac Topsport’s Loksand Rootzone as a traditional sand-based product that could provide a structurally sound base for natural grass surfaces to grow. Around 400 tonnes of Loksand were used on the ambitious landscaping project, which was delivered by specialist contractor, P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd.
Unlocking the benefits
The Lancashire-based company, which has a longstanding 10-year working relationship with Tarmac, is used to the benefits of the Loksand system. Peter Burgess, project manager at Casey’s, comments: “Importantly, Loksand is easy to work with and lay, and when used in a concentrated form can be easily mixed onsite with the indiginous soil to produce a reinforced rootzone. This means that it’s capable of resisting compaction, but importantly also allows air and water to pass to the grass roots.
“The main challenge for us at Wentworth was the geography of the site, which, combined with recent flash flooding in the area, made transporting the product particularly difficult. Also, certain parts of the estate had been recently restored, which meant they were ‘no-go areas’ for contractors. By using trailers, we were able to transport the Loksand over half a mile from its delivery point to its point of use, where it could then be evenly distributed.
“Our role was to excavate the areas in need of landscaping to create an even surface in preparation for Loksand to be laid. The first priority was to put Loksand in areas where heavy vehicles would require access, so that regular maintenance works in the gardens could continue unhindered,” remarks Burgess.
Complementary system
As the project also demanded a seeded turf surface, so Lokturf – a unique, wear-resistant 40mm thick turf - was specified to complement the Loksand Rootzone system. Once Loksand had been used, Lindum Turf, a leading supplier of seeded turf, completed the ‘fine-tuning’ by laying around 2500m2 of Lokturf.
Stephen Fell at Lindum Turf, said: “At Wentworth, the Trust was particularly keen that certain access roads could be used as soon as possible. This was not a problem for us, as Lokturf can be used immediately after installation because of its inbuilt strength, which makes it less susceptible to divoting. Lokturf is highly suitable for applications such as grass pathways and access roads because it features crimped fibre technology to produce a tough, wear-resistant surface, which is essential where there is high pedestrian or vehicle usage. By creating a superior lock between fibres, sands and roots it delivers greater stability than ordinary turf and also acts as an effective shock absorber,” concludes Fell.
Not all of the pedestrian pathways at Wentworth required such a durable, hard wearing surface. In more peripheral areas, Topsport’s generic landscaping Rootzone was used to help promote quick and healthy root growth as an alternative to using topsoil and turf.
Enhancing the green environment
As part of this large conservation project, the aim for the Trust was to ensure that landscaping within the gardens remained as ‘green’ as possible. John Halfpenny, general manager of Tarmac Topsport explains how this was possible: “Combining Loksand and Lokturf is a proven complementary system, which has been used for many landscaping projects, and we were delighted to be involved with Wentworth’s prestigious conservation plans. Essentially, the system provides the best of both worlds for the estate as it is not only aesthetically pleasing but also a sustainable alternative to hard surfacing.”
Put to the test
Specifying landscaping products that could maintain Wentworth’s pleasant green environment was essential for conservation project, but proof of its success was in the delivery.
Paul Johnson at Wentworth Castle, concludes: “Over the last couple of months, high rainfall in the region has put the Loksand system to the test and we have not been disappointed. The folly, which is a key attraction for visitors, especially throughout the summer months, was still able to host plays despite the heavy rain, as its Loksand floor created a firm, free-draining surface. We have been impressed with the product’s durability and it is possible that it will enable us to use the vicinity of the castle as a ‘green’ car park for classic car displays in the future.”
See more on Loksand Rootzone
22 November 2007
