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.
Read MoreSports Pitch Drainage Improvements Installed By Turfdry Enhance Hazelwood School Campus
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.
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