With pernicious waterlogging problems having haunted their ground for a long time, precipitating the remedial works conducted during summer 2024, Ashby Ivanhoe FC hadn’t played a home game since November 2023. Following the successful installation of the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain in August 2024 however, the pitch has recovered well, with a healthy grass sward establishing over the drain lines, opening the door for football to return to Ivanhoe’s NFU Sports Ground.

With the recent heavy downpours making summer seem like a distant memory, sports pitches across the UK will be facing their first real drainage challenge of the season. As such, it seemed like a great opportunity to check in on the new Football Foundation funded pitch drainage system installed at Ashby Ivanhoe FC in August to check in on the performance of the Hydraway Sportsdrain.

Ashby Ivanhoe FC is an ambitious club that is looking to make meaningful investments in its home ground. A key objective in this regard has been the installation of a new pitch drainage system; this will not only improve the quality of the playing surface, but also guard against fixture cancellations brought about through waterlogging, which can have serious detrimental impact on the finances of a grassroots club – whether through fines, or diminished matchday revenue. To this end, the club sought funding from the Football Foundation, and expert third-party advice from a number of sources including as the Grounds Management Association. With Turfdry’s name cropping up time and time again, the club eventually got in touch with the firm to discuss the potential improvements to its home ground. Impressed with both the technical superiority of Hydraway Sportsdrain, as well as the passion and enthusiasm of Turfdry’s team, Ashby Ivanhoe FC was convinced that Turfdry was the best contractor to deliver the most cost-effective improvements to their pitch.

Although much of Turfdry’s business with housebuilding firms involves the full design & build of new facilities, the company’s natural turf specialism is sometimes called upon for more focussed works, such as the recent installation of a Hydraway Sportsdrain drainage system at Greenstone Primary School, currently under construction by Stepnell in Ellistown, Leicestershire. The school is named after local engineer William Stenson, who defied conventional wisdom by breaking through the layer of granite – known locally as ‘greenstone’ at the time’ in order to access the rich seams of coal that lay beneath it, unlocking the expansion of industry in nearby Coalville and the surrounding area. Whilst the school’s name looks to the past for inspiration, the facilities themselves have been designed to embrace the principles of the increasingly popular ‘forest school’ model, which seeks to use the outdoor environment as a key part of the school’s activities, giving pupils a richer, more holistic, and engaging learning experience.

Hazelwood School is an award-winning independent prep school set in 25 acres of woodland near Oxted, Surrey. With an emphasis on holistic, integrated learning that supplements classroom education with thoughtful use of outdoor space, the site provides a wide variety of outdoor spaces to provide a broader, more varied scope for its pupils. Whilst many of these spaces are designed to complement traditional classroom subjects, there is of course excellent provision for sports, which are held in high regard by the school, with pupils receiving up to six hours of physical education per week; however, despite the recent addition of an all-weather pitch to the site, the staff were keen to revitalise their natural turf sports facilities, which have been suffering from persistent waterlogging problems that have been exacerbated in recent years.

With Turfdry’s impeccable reputation for providing long-term, cost-effective drainage solutions for educational establishments across the UK, the firm was a natural choice for the school. Though investment in other parts of the site meant that a number of years passed between the initial site visit and the eventual work, the school remained in contact with Turfdry in the intervening years, and demonstrating great enthusiasm to proceed with the works once the necessary funds were available.

Located just a short distance outside of Wigan, Aspull RFC is a bustling local rugby club boasting 15 teams across various age groups. With so much rugby being played, it is no wonder than their facilities have struggled to keep up with the demand for game-time, especially given the increasing levels of rainfall in an already-notoriously wet part of the country. Despite the best efforts of the club’s ground staff, they have been struggling in recent winters to keep the pitches playable, facing cancelled fixtures following failed pitch inspections. In addition to disrupting the season – and potentially incurring fines from their leagues – fixture cancellations can also diminish the social side of a local sports club, as well as put a dent in their budget with less demand for the bar facilities that help to fund it.

With the effects of climate change set to continue unabated, the club resolved to invest in its home ground through the installation of a new drainage system that would help guarantee a higher volume of playable fixtures throughout the year. To this end, they contacted Turfdry, whose great success providing transformative improvements to existing rugby pitches made them a natural choice for a club looking to maximise the value of their investment in seeking meaningful, long-term development.

Though the initial earthworks phase of the project is complete, the initial delays to the project’s getting started, combined with the fact that there is no irrigation facility on-site, has meant that the drainage, cultivation and seeding works have been delayed to ensure the establishing grass sward is not compromised by any hot and dry spells that might be brought by the summer weather. As a result the site has been fenced off to preserve the work completed thus far, and to secure the site more generally.

After a slow start to the project due to the relentlessly wet ground conditions through the spring, Turfdry’s sports pitch construction project at Crest Nicholson’s Highlands Park development in Henley-on-Thames has made fantastic progress in recent weeks. 

Following the screening of the material on site, and the removal of detritus from the pitch plateau area, the team was able to get to work spreading the mountain of imported topsoil over the finished sub-base. A good depth of high-quality topsoil is vital to the construction of a natural turf sports pitch, and with the paucity of available material on-site, the importing of additional material was crucial to the success of this project.

Turfdry’s specialism in natural turf construction makes the firm an ideal partner for housebuilding companies looking to add sports facilities to their new developments. With the main construction phase of its Highlands Park development in Henley-on-Thames winding down, Crest Nicholson contacted Turfdry in 2023 to explore their options for a new natural turf sports pitch, with a package of works agreed to commence in early 2024.

Set in the foothills of the Peak District, Horsley Lodge has been offering challenging and picturesque golf since it was built in 1863 by the Earl of Sitwell – as a wedding present for his son no less! Having been recently acquired by investment group Charjen Capital, the club is undergoing a healthy period of investment, with a £500,000 investment plan already having been undertaken by Derbyshire-based entrepreneur Marc Bough in the months since the acquisition. “We saw an opportunity to own one of Derbyshire’s finest golf courses in a stunning location, and have grand plans to enhance the golf course itself”, said Bough, “as well as upgrade the hotel and venue space in a sensitive and sustainable manner.”

Central to the ambition to improve the course is the development of a long-term drainage strategy, which has been spearheaded by Turfdry. Following a full topographical survey of the entire course, key problem areas that are beset by persistent waterlogging were identified by the club’s management as priorities for improvement.  Following numerous site visits to supplement the topographical information provided by the survey with ‘on-the-ground’ understanding of the areas in question, Turfdry developed drainage designs for the 6th & 7th fairways, as well as outlining key improvements to the adjacent ditch network that would be crucial in providing a proper outfall for the collected water.

Aston Wood Golf Club – an 18-hole championship course in Sutton Coldfield to the north of Birmingham – first contacted Turfdry in 2021, looking for guidance as to how best to tackle the widespread waterlogging issues that were undermining the playability of the course during the winter months.

During the initial site visit conducted by Turfdry’s MD Melvyn Taylor, the wide ranging scope of the drainage issues was revealed, with club staff indicating that some mismanagement by the previous ownership had likely contributed to the growing scale of the problems they were now facing. With this in mind, Turfdry recommended the club pursue a long-term drainage strategy, considering the entire site’s drainage holistically, rather than focus on the specific areas that were causing the most concern. This philosophy is central to Turfdry’s approach to golf course drainage improvements, but was particularly relevant in this case, where carefully considered investment would be required to deliver the widespread improvements necessary to achieve the club’s vision.

Turfdry’s specialism in natural turf construction makes the firm an ideal partner for housebuilding companies looking to add sports facilities to their new developments. With the main construction phase of its Highlands Park development in Henley-on-Thames winding down, Crest Nicholson contacted Turfdry in 2023 to explore their options for a new natural turf sports pitch, with a package of works agreed to commence in early 2024.

As a project that been an active concern for many years, Turfdry were delighted to finally get the go-ahead for sports pitch construction works at OD Murphy field in Telford, Shropshire.

Although the site was already valued by the local community as an open green space with an active ecosystem of fauna, the council sought to enhance the space further through the construction of a new, high-quality football pitch. The proposals also included the construction of a new perimeter path, car parking area, and wildflower bund to further enhance the local ecology, and enhance the aesthetics of the space for all users.

Following successful works in late summer 2022, Turfdry was delighted to be invited to return to The Savill Garden to expand its drainage improvements.

When Turfdry was first engaged by The Crown Estate to develop drainage improvements for The Savill Garden, a number of areas were identified as posing persistent problems. In order to manage the disruption to the Garden's activities, as well as to assess the effectiveness of the solutions provided, The Crown Estate opted to split the works into multiple phases. As such, we were delighted to be invited to return to the Garden this summer to expand the new drainage system into Phase 2.

Dave Taylor - Course Manager at The Bristol Golf Club - first approached Turfdry regarding potential course drainage improvements in November 2021. Following a change in the club's ownership, significant investment had already been made into other key areas of operational activities, including new greenkeeping machinery and equipment, so the generation of a new drainage strategy was a crucial 'next step' in the club's continued development.

The use of Turfdry's unique Hydraway Sportsdrain is most often motivated by the superior drainage performance provided by its rapid water intake rate, or the longevity delivered by its high-quality construction; however, some sites have particular features that present additional challenges for successful, cost-effective drainage solutions, for which Hydraway is uniquely suited.

The ongoing wetlands construction project at Oakwood Park in Enfield continues to progress well, with many of the larger wetland cells taking shape as the construction phase continues.

In addition to its commitment to enhancing the natural environment, Enfield Council has a well-established commitment to historical documentation, and works in concert with Enfield Archaeological Society to inspect and document excavation projects when possible. In keeping with its goal of delivering projects in a responsible, sustainable, and thoughtful manner, Turfdry is happy to help integrate these activities into its projects when requested, improving the natural environment for the future, whilst ensuring nothing of value is lost to the past.

Nestled in the bounds of Windsor Great Park, The Savill Garden has been recognised as one of the finest ornamental gardens in Britain since its creation in the 1930s. Boasting 35 acres of interconnected gardens and woodland, it offers visitors a kaleidoscopic journey through a bountiful selection of rare and beautiful flora.

Despite the diligent maintenance efforts of The Crown Estate however, some sections of the garden have begun to suffer from persistent waterlogging. This not only has a detrimental impact on some of the plant life, but also disrupts visitors and their ability to enjoy the gardens to their fullest.

With a passionate commitment to making pro-active improvements to the natural environment, Enfield Council is one of Turfdry's favourite clients to work with. Having delivered numerous drainage and construction projects in the borough over the past decade - including the award-winning wetlands project at Firs Farm Park - we were delighted to receive an invitation to tender for the construction of a new wetlands network in Oakwood Park.

Following a complex construction - taking into account high-pressure pipelines, wildly fluctuating weather conditions, and the disruption wrought by a global pandemic - Turfdry is delighted at the completion of its sports pitch construction project on behalf of Barrett David Wilson homes for Salesian School in Chertsey.

Though delivery of the project has thrown up its fair share of challenges, Turfdry's carefully considered, holistic approach to the construction of high-quality, cost-effective sports facilities has resulted in pitches to be truly proud of.

Sundridge Park Golf Club boast two eighteen-hole courses tucked away in a beautiful pocket of greenery in an otherwise bustling and urban part of Kent, and has been offering picturesque and challenging golf to members for over a century. In recent years however, one of the biggest challenges on the course – for both golfers and greenkeepers alike – has been increasingly waterlogged greens, diminishing an otherwise superlative golfing experience.

Following a competitive tender process, Turfdry were appointed by the University of Warwick to install new drainage systems on a trio of sports pitches as part of the ongoing £49 million investment project in its sporting facilities. This project is driven by the objective of enriching its students’ lives, empowering and inspiring them to embrace the opportunities offered by sport as part of a well-rounded life, to make the University into the country’s “most physically active campus”..

Located in the historic capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, Repton School has a strong lineage of both academic and sporting excellence, boasting a number of international and Olympic athletes amongst its alumni, as well as internationally renowned figures such as Jeremy Clarkson and Roald Dahl. Taking great pride in not just sporting excellence, but also the integration of sport into a well-rounded and rewarding education, the school has invested over £6 million in its sporting facilities since 2018 to lay the foundations for future generations of budding athletes and sporting stars.

With a reputation for delivering high quality sports pitch construction on-time and within budget, Turfdry’s clientele of major construction firms continues to grow – most recently with the completion of a new sports pitch project in Nottinghamshire for Persimmon Homes.

The Environment Agency’s Salmons Brook flood prevention scheme – constructed in 2014 in response to dramatic increases in high-volume storm events and residential flooding - was called into action for the first time in early 2021. As per the scheme’s design, this deluged the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th & 18th holes, leaving them flooded up to 3 feet deep in places.

Turfdry have begun the installation of an extensive drainage system on behalf of Exeter Athletic RFC, covering three pitches at their Bravelands home. Following the announcement of a landmark partnership between the club and Exeter College in August of this year, investment is being made into the pitches to provide top quality pitches that can withstand not only the elements, but also the high volume of rugby they will host: not only the fixtures for the club, but also those for the Exeter Chiefs Rugby Academy as well.

The Leader’s Council of Great Britain & Northern Ireland is chaired by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, and is tasked with both celebrating and empowering business leaders across the country. Turfdry MD Melvyn Taylor was invited onto the most recent episode of the Leader’s Council podcast to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities of business in such uncertain times.

Melbourne Rugby Club, in Derbyshire, is looking forward to the welcome winter sound of cash registers ringing in the bar, now that its 1st and 2nd Team rugby pitches have had new Hydraway Drainage systems installed by Turfdry.

Though Turfdry’s work constructing the facilities at Hanley Town FC Academy wasn’t inspired by whispered words on the wind, but rather by the firm’s impeccable reputation, the famous phrase from 1989’s Field of Dreams – “Build it, and he will come” – could not have been more fitting given Hanley Town FC’s recent signing of The Greatest Football Player Who Has Ever Lived Or Ever Shall Live: Ricardo Fuller.*

As though to mock Turfdry’s efforts to combat the spongey, saturated ground conditions that plagued their pitch construction site at Orleton Lane, Telford, the record-breakingly wet autumn weather was so dramatic that it necessitated the temporary suspension of operations due to the impossibility of construction work on the sodden ground conditions.