Educational Establishments
Grass tennis court
of turf areas, and again has seen consistent improvement during his tenure.
Planning and Process
Everything in the grounds here has its place and time. Dave’s methodical approach, working to a nominal ten year plan, means that some tasks are extremely regular. For example, every summer the rhododendron hedges are cut, which takes most of July, and then, in August every year, the team complete ten to fifteen panels of featheredge fencing on the perimeter. “We have been steadily replacing all the old and broken panels along the perimeter road, and now have just nine left for next year, before we start again!”
This approach to planning the work pervades every area, with Dave producing an informal report annually, detailing the work done over the last year. It contains reports on the gardens, sportsturf, machinery and a financial breakdown, and goes on to set targets for the coming year. “We aim to spend twenty days during the winter working in the woods as a team but, in three years of trying, we haven’t managed it yet!” A maintenance book contains a schedule of repairs and servicing to be
carried out through the year by the team, who all confess to being amateurs, but more than competent, mechanics. Trees are a major part of the landscape. The view from the top of the hill is like a typical Capability Brown creation, but has developed naturally over centuries, and includes fine specimen firs, sweet chestnuts and oaks, along with a mass of self seeded ash and other varieties. The school is surrounded on three sides by roads, including the busy A325 Farnborough Road, so maintenance of larger trees is carried out by a qualified tree surgeon (Toptrees). Smaller limbs and ground work is carried out by the grounds team. Currently, they are working along the perimeter clearing scrub, holly and laurel to open up the woodland. This work had been neglected for a long time so the team are really catching up for lost time. The cost is high as there can be no shortcuts with this work. Over recent years, Dave has surveyed over 500 trees of all sizes and plotted them on tree plans in areas of approximately 30m x15m. The aim is to eventually have all the trees on site mapped and then to have undertaken clearance and maintenance on the entire perimeter.
Hard surface tennis courts
“Even though it sounds busy, we managed to hold a ‘Grounds Olympics’ during last year’s holidays, competing between ourselves in various sports from croquet to golf to pool”
Panoramic views across north Hampshire
Azalea Steps OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 PC 107
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