Disabled access is both functional and sophisticated in equal measure, adding style where mere ‘fit for purpose’ would have sufficed


‘give and take’ between him and the heads of sport about when the team can get cracking on pitch maintenance. “We try to spike as often as we can, overseeding with a Blec,” explains Tony. “It’s important that we have a grass species with a strong wear tolerance and leaf colour, due to the volume of use, as well as ensuring good overall presentation, regardless of the challenges that might bring,” he adds. Tony uses a blended rye mixture and combines overseeding with a twice-yearly weed-control programme, using Greenor. “We usually apply in early summer and early autumn but, for the most part, have few weed problems,” he explains. But he doesn’t get off scot-free. “Our only headache is leaf spot, which is probably a result of our preference for leaving the grass slightly longer and the heavy use on the pitches, which probably allows the disease to be spread on boots,” he adds.


The school’s sports facilities are split into four sections. The top field, which greets visitors as they enter the grounds, has one main winter pitch, used


The impressive pine cricket pavilion houses modern catering and kitchen facilities which serves the end of year ‘prom’


predominantly for rugby, a number of 5- a-side football pitches, rugby training grids, a synthetic pitch and, in the summer, includes a grass athletics track. Second, is the main cricket square, complete with pavilion and scoreboard. The third, The Ridgeway, includes one full-sized winter pitch and four 5-a-side football pitches. Next to this is the adventure playground, installed in 1999 by money donated by the Friends of Danes Hill Group, who also helped fund the construction of the cricket pavilion and the outdoor swimming pool. The final zone is the new


development, which, once completed, will alleviate some of the usage headaches Tony and his team have had to grapple with. “The school is particularly pro sport,”


he stresses, “to the point where we have multiple teams for each sport in each year group. This is great for the school and the pupils, but we do need some time to do our work in between all this sporting activity. The new sports areas will give us more room and the synthetic pitch will ease wear and tear through the


winter.”


Under the £1.2m development, huge quantities of earth and clay were excavated, creating four terraces out of the steeply rolling hillside on which are laid five natural turf pitches for rugby and football, constructed with 250mm of screened site topsoil ameliorated with 50mm of sand and 50mm of compost, full sub-surface drainage at 5m centres and seeded with an A20 grass mix. The full-size Tiger Turf Evolution surface will see hockey, netball, tennis and football action. Two cricket squares, with wickets constructed with 125mm of base loam and 75mm of cricket loam - both from Surrey Loams - seeded with an A5 grass mix.


Undertaking the works is specialist sports contractor, White Horse Contractors. Their extensive knowledge of construction, drainage and renovation of sport and leisure facilities is also being employed on the renovation of Chelsea FC’s training ground nearby, a facility they also built.


The contractor’s ability to meet tight


The school set out specific design credentials before work began, including the need to minimise the quantity of material taken off site. White Horse Contractors achieved this through the construction of complex retaining walls and bespoke landscaping solutions, which included the creation of coaching and viewing banks next to the new sporting facilities


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