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Background
The Trans Pennine Trail stretches 215 miles from the coast at Southport in the West to Hornsea in the East. There has never been anything to actually celebrate the end or beginning of the trail in Hornsea, only a seafront way marker similar to that at the Southport end.
Situation
The Hornsea Area Regeneration Partners (HARP) raised funding to develop a disused plot of land some 150 metres inland from the shore, formerly the Hornsea Railway Station forecourt. HARP consulted with Andrew Muddiman, Landscape Architect with East Riding of Yorkshire Council who, in conjunction with the Group, the Town Council and local residents, designed a striking 'marker' based on a railway theme. The aim was to reflect the site's past and to provide, among other things, references to all locations along the trail's route. The ground surface design prominently features a large directional arrow pointing the way back in the direction of Southport, 215 miles away.
Why Sureset?
Andrew Muddiman takes up the story: 'When I began researching material for the project and trying to realise the types of surfaces and colours ideally required, I started by looking at a variety of surfacing, from pavers to coloured macadams and concrete, along with resin bound materials. To me the resin bound surface treatments appeared more vibrant in colour and texture. The extensive range of materials available also increased my options, and would fit comfortably alongside the pallet of other materials being used throughout the project. |
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The clients were initially sceptical, as a previous award winning scheme on Hornsea sea front using resin bound materials had suffered huge problems and received considerable criticism; so too had another major scheme undertaken at Sewerby Hall, Bridlington.'
Solution
Among the resin bound companies approached, SureSet appeared to be well ahead with its 7-year guarantee (now increased to 10 years) and the laying technique was very different from that used on the failed schemes. The colours and materials fitted with my scheme and what I was hoping to achieve, so I felt confident at including SureSet in my specifications.
Both the East Riding Clerk of Works for the site and I were equally impressed when visiting the site to monitor progress. We could see from the techniques being used and the thickness of materials being laid this would be a quality product. We could also see immediately this was a totally different surface to that which had failed elsewhere. |
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Result
HARP, as the client, are extremely pleased with the final outcome, as are local residents.
Although the Trans Pennine Trail project highlights the potential of SureSet as a versatile surfacing system for the unusual, other application possibilities are endless. The resin paving system has been used extensively for access roads and car parks, driveways, footpaths and cycleways, patios and pool surrounds and even internally.
In addition to natural gravel, 1,000+ formulae are available, including recycled glass in a variety of colours, imported marble or even crushed CDs.
From this range, Andrew Muddiman selected 6mm Autumn Tan gravel, 6mm Atlantic Blue Glass for the directional arrow, and 6mm Tuscan Terracotta for an adjacent railway track feature approaching the marker.
SureSet also installed 100 metres of metal edging to create the shapes, a facility that again increases scope for the imaginative designer. |
