The 1st team rugby pitch is the only properly constructed pitch, the rest being soil based pitches
Nigel Hornsby
thirty-eight groundstaff, comprising thirteen gardeners and twenty-three groundsmen, under the supervision of Grounds Manager, David Warner MSc, and his deputy Nigel Hornsby. David arrived at Millfield in 2005 having previously worked at Ascot Racecourse and, before that, Birmingham King Edward’s School, bringing with him over twenty years of experience. He is responsible for the strategic and long-term planning of the grounds and gardens departments. David sees ongoing training and appraisals as important to developing sport specific skills. Employees are sent on the relevant training courses and, in 2007, an apprenticeship scheme through Cannington College was instigated. Daily
Main Campus rugby pitch
management meetings are held with sports coaches and other sectors within the Millfield structure to ensure that everyone knows exactly what is required to
achieve the high standards the
School demands. Ordering materials is carried out by David for distribution between the sites. This ensures that maximum value is achieved. Smaller or specific sundries are ordered by supervisors. Maintenance regimes for all surfaces and gardens, including fertiliser, topdressing and plant selections, are set by David, again to minimise costs and maximise efficiency.
Main Campus tennis courts 62
Machinery is selected by the operators once the initial proposal has been considered. This is done by on-site demonstrations, and the machine in question is selected because it does the job and suits the operator that has to perform that task.
David uses a number of local dealers and other sources that are screened in order to offer a wide range of suppliers. He believes that this gives him the best equipment and materials at the best prices available. He says that he is very proud of his team of professionals who produce high standards of workmanship often with a very high workload. They are professional in all that they do and are, he says, a great group to work with.
Nigel Hornsby, Deputy Head of
Grounds, works at the Senior School site alongside a team of six supervisors - Tom Punchard, cricket, Colin Ashman, rugby, football, cricket and golf, Bryan Shepherd, Head Gardener, Joe Bryan and Jon Lee, gardens supervisors and Graham Brown, machinery mechanic.
Nigel has been at Millfield for six years. Having himself been a school head of sport for twenty years he has a strong affinity with what is required.
Tennis
All the grass courts are maintained to county standard. The sward composition on the courts is 50% rye (three varieties) and 50% fescue (two varieties). Height of cut out of play is 20mm and, during the playing season, 7mm. End of season renovations for the grass courts involve scarifying the courts in several directions down to a depth of 6mm using a Huxley tractor mounted scarifyer and Sisis 600 pedestrian machine. The courts are then topdressed with a 28% Mendip clay loam applying twenty 25kg bags per court which are then oversown with a 50/50 seed mix. They are aerated throughout the autumn and winter months when ground condition allow using a vertidrain set at different depths, with varying tine sizes.
Rugby
The 1st Team rugby pitch is the only properly constructed pitch. Built during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year (1977) it was cut and filled with primary and secondary drainage installed. Situated adjacent to the dining hall, its
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