Educational Establishments


“ “ 80 I PC JUNE/JULY 2017


We dug up some of the old gravel drains, installed about fifteen years ago, and they were silted up so much they were totally ineffective


Secondary drainage slits cut, filled and ready for play


three of the Dukes Meadow pitches, 2,3 and 7. Work began during the 2015 Easter holidays with the installation of primary drains at 5-metre intervals. Simon specified a sand rather gravel spec for this. Secondary sand slit drains were cut in a


year later, and Bourne had used a Blec Sandmaster specifically for this. “During drainage installation, we dug up some of the old gravel drains, installed about fifteen years ago, and they were silted up so much they were totally ineffective. I knew that sand would avoid further problems of this kind,” said Simon. “I reckon these old drains probably


stopped working a few years after installation. The soil on the site has always had a very high silt content and pitches had never really been topdressed, so built into the improvement of the Dukes Meadow pitches was grand scale sand dressing.” Phase 2 of the scheme began late spring a


Simon Willems, Head of Grounds & Gardens


year ago with the re-instating of Dukes Meadow pitch 6, which had had very poor levels. It was stripped off, graded and laser levelled, with drains cut in and laid at 5-


metre intervals. Power harrowing mixed added sand into the soil to achieve a 50:50 sand:soil rootzone. It was seeded in mid- September last year, which was a delay of three weeks or so because of unseasonably dry conditions. Barenbrug Bar 7 and Bar Stadia was the mix used. Simon says his grounds team was cutting the pitch less than three weeks after seeding. In January this year, barely twelve months


after the groundwork began, the school was playing football on it and, next term, it will be the first team pitch for football and rugby. Retaining hedging, yet to be planted, plus seating and dug-outs will complete this aspect of the project. Phase 3, which is the last of the large-scale


improvement work, has started already. This is the levelling and installing of drainage and irrigation to Dukes Meadow pitches 4 and 5, which sit adjacent to pitch 6. Once finished, it will create a vast training area with a high quality surface. The pop-up irrigation is being installed by specialists Top Turf of Arundel as an ongoing part of the project as the Dukes Meadow


The irrigation system’s software has a growth irrigation node, which ensures optimum watering for germination, and it worked perfectly for the new pitch 6


Better drainage and sand, lots of it, for Dukes Meadow pitches


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