Context

Addagrip revisited its 2018 surfacing installation at Wakehurst, a 500-acre wild botanic garden in West Sussex managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. As a site of national importance for horticulture and conservation, any surface installed must be practical and sensitive to its surroundings.

The Terrabase Rustic porous resin bound surface remains in excellent condition 5 years on, standing up to heavy use while continuing to enhance the natural landscape, testament to the performance and longevity of Addagrip systems.

2018 installation

Wakehurst (previously known as Wakehurst Place) on the High Weald of West Sussex, owned by The National Trust, consists of over 500 acres of beautiful ornamental gardens, woodlands and a nature reserve. Funded and managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the site is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild seed conservation project in the world.

As part of a scheme to renovate existing walkways and create new pathways at Wakehurst, VGC Construction was contracted by Graham Construction to excavate and re-build over 450 linear metres of footpaths in the Bethlehem Woods area of the gardens. The requirement was to provide surfacing that would be decorative, hardwearing, sympathetic to the woodland environment and porous enough to provide maximum drainage in this wooded area.

Addagrip’s ‘no-dig’ Terrabase Rustic resin bound porous surfacing was the perfect solution. Using a 6-10mm aggregate size in a Rustic Oak blend, the patented system provides a ‘rustic looking finish with excellent drainage. Addagrip approved contractor Limegate Ltd installed over 1300m2 of Terrabase Rustic onto a mix of different surfacing types including a cellular confinement system to minimise disruption to tree roots and deal with the lateral drainage requirements of this hillside location.

The finished pathways offer a decorative yet practical solution that deals with the drainage issues, providing a surface that is hard wearing, low maintenance, suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs to give all year access to the beautiful woodland area.