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supply & delivery 1 colour = £56m2 for 100m2, can only get another colour if you order 100m2 of the extra colour!

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Hardscape helped to design a stylish new student accommodation courtyard in the heart of Liverpool, advising on and supplying a variety of paving materials. Put forward by Liverpool University and the City Council, the £25million re-development project also called upon developers Worthington Properties and architects Leach Rhodes Walker landscape architects securing planning permission.

To make way for the new Philharmonic Court, five out-dated student blocks were demolished and replaced with two L - shaped buildings that provide 354 bedrooms around an enclosed private courtyard. The look was inspired by developments that took place during the Industrial Revolution, including a rigid, grid patterned street layout designed by Corporation Surveyor John Foster, who was responsible for much of Liverpool's Classic Revival.

The result was a striking, striped patterned courtyard adorned in an array of Hardscape Kellen chosen in bold colours ; Cottrio, Giallo , Maronne, Rosso, Alpi and Bianco. The earthy tones compliment the brick buildings to create a seamless flow between the floor and walls. Several streets were created during the 19th Century to connect the growing population, reflected in the layout of the horizontal paving bands with various widths, spanning a total area of 800m ².

A new public realm area was also created around the site, including lush greenery and an additional pedestrian route linking Caledonia Street to Falkner Street - reinstating the historic layout of the area. Several elegant Georgian town houses were also refurbished, bringing them back into use. The location is home to busy bars and cafes, providing a popular gathering point for students and the local community to socialise.

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Hardscape helped to design a stylish new student accommodation courtyard in the heart of Liverpool, advising on and supplying a variety of paving materials.

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Llandraw Flagstones 25-50mm thick - Black Mountain Quarries

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They have offered free large 'Old Devonian Red' sandstone boulders:

https://www.blackmountainquarries.co.uk/products/landscaping/boulders/boulders/

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Llandraw Flagstones 25-50mm thick - Black Mountain Quarries

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UK locally quarried flagstones from Llandraw UK. These flagstones are hand split at 25 to 50mm which makes them perfect for laying any patio.

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On adjusted areas. Good thinking. Phil who is now lecturing at the College has offered to get us discounted prices from local suppliers too (if there are any).

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200 metres squared of MOT type 1 - quote from TJ Groundworks is £6k! 

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200 metres squared of MOT type 1 - quote from TJ Groundworks is £6k! 

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If we had enough hands on and some tools I think we could achieve that for a lot less. I've just contacted county aggregates for a price for 28m3 which is 200m2 at 150mm deep.

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...as a starter for 10 whatever surface we decide upon there will need to be scalpings (MOT type 1) laid & whacker plated flat - I'll get some quotes...

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...as a starter for 10 whatever surface we decide upon there will need to be scalpings (MOT type 1) laid & whacker plated flat - I'll get some quotes...

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Droog toasts 30 years of irreverent design

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Dutch design collective Droog presents an exhibition at Triennale during Milan Design Week 2023, curated by Maria Cristina Didero and Richard Hutten and celebrating its 30th anniversary

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Unsure on the surface there. But perhaps right to go for the more expensive surface for now to provide continuity looking in. Can also maybe plant up edges of that wedge shape to help with drainage may and provide an appealing pedestrian entrance?

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There's a reason that a key component of green building is water efficiency and reuse. Nationwide water use statistics are nothing short of staggering. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses 88 gallons of water per day. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. And some experts estimate that as much as 50 percent of water used for irrigation is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. That means billions of gallons of clean, fresh water is wasted daily, due to ineffective irrigation systems.

You may be thinking, "there's got to be a better way. How can I reduce my home's outdoor water use?" You're in luck - there's a very simple, easy, and inexpensive way to do so. systems redirect greywater (water used for washing) from going into the sewer system and into an irrigation system instead. For any eco-friendly home, recycling usable water is definitely something to seriously consider. Installing a greywater system means you'll conserve water and reduce your monthly utility bills, all while providing valuable nutrients to your lawn and garden.

Greywater FAQs

What is greywater?

Greywater is the name given to water that's already been used for washing purposes, like laundry, handwashing, showering, and bathing (NOT water that's been in contact with feces, like from the toilet or washing diapers). Greywater systems, then, are used to redirect and recycle this "once-used" water for other purposes. Greywater may look unclean (it does have the characteristic "grey" tint, after all), but it's perfectly suitable for watering the garden, irrigating your lawn, and more.

Is greywater safe for plants?

For the purposes greywater typically serves, like irrigating lawns, ornamental gardens, or trees, greywater is safe (if you use the right cleaners and body care products) - and can even be beneficial. Greywater contains traces of dirt, food, grease, and hair, which become pollutants when released into bodies of water. But to plants, these things are nutrients and valuable fertilizers. This makes greywater an even better option for watering and irrigation than regular water!

(Note: If you want to use greywater for your vegetable garden, just be sure it doesn't touch any edible parts of the plant.)

And don't worry, most greywater systems come with a simple 3-way valve to easily toggle between the greywater system and the sewer or septic system. You'll still have the option to drain anything you wouldn't want to water your plants with, while recycling valuable water on a daily basis.

What about water from dishwashers or my kitchen sink?

Typically, water from these sources is not reused as greywater because many of the detergents used to wash dishes contain ingredients that are harmful to plants. If you are able to find products free of salts and boron, you can reuse this source of water.

Can I reuse greywater if I have a water softener?

Again, because of the salts used for most water softeners, this water is not suitable for plants. Consider looking into a potassium softener instead of a sodium softener.

What soaps and products can I use with my greywater system?

Plant-friendly products are obviously key when reusing greywater. Here's what the pros at Greywater Action recommend:

"All products should be biodegradable and non-toxic. In addition, they should be free of salt (sodium) and boron (borax), two common ingredients that are non-toxic to people but are harmful to plants and/or the soil. Chlorine bleach is also harmful to plants and should be diverted with any other harmful products to the sewer or septic by switching the 3-way valve. Hydrogen peroxide bleaches are less harmful and can be used instead of chlorine. Another consideration with soaps and products is their affect on the pH of the water. While many soaps do not change the pH, some do. In general, liquid soaps do not change the pH, while bar soaps make the water very basic (opposite of acidic). Certain acid loving plants may not be happy with this kind of water. If you're uncertain if the pH is being affected choose plants that are not acid loving to irrigate. Acid loving plants include ferns, rhodedendrons, and blueberries."

What are the benefits of greywater reuse?

Aside from the obvious benefits of saving a ton of water (and money on your water bill), reusing your greywater keeps it out of the sewer or septic system, reducing the chance that it will pollute local rivers and lakes. Additionally, greywater reuse increases the productivity of sustainable backyard ecosystems that provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Greywater system... that sounds complicated!

Actually, greywater systems can be incredibly simple. In fact, Greywater Action suggests keeping greywater systems as simple as possible. Take the laundry-to-landscape system, for example; without altering household plumbing one bit, this gravity-based system redirects water from the washing machine into a basic yard irrigation system. No pumps, no machinery, and virtually no maintenance. Other simple systems make use of greywater from showers and sinks, letting gravity work its magic to make the water flow naturally. Only those with an uphill-sloped yard will really need to consider implementing a mechanical pump.

Aren't greywater systems expensive?

This one's another surprising "no" - any system can be costly depending on the complexity, but greywater systems are typically very affordable. Back to the laundry-to-landscape example from above: Supplies for this simple system will cost around . And because it's such a basic system and requires only basic plumbing work, self-installation is definitely an option. If you'd rather have someone install the system for you, you can expect to tack on $500-$1,500 in labor costs, depending on how advanced of a system you have in mind. The bottom line: for all their eco-friendly benefits, greywater systems come with a totally digestible price tag.

What if my household produces more greywater than I need for irrigation?

In most climates (especially dry and arid climates) it'd be difficult to have an overabundance of greywater. You'd be surprised how much water your soil can soak up! But in more humid and wet regions, many homeowners turn to constructed wetlands to help absorb some of that water. Wetlands are nature's water purifiers, removing nutrients and other pollutants from stormwater and wastewater. Constructed wetlands are like backyard ponds - little man-made wetlands used to treat greywater destined for discharge into a local water body, or simply to create a backyard wildlife habitat.

More Greywater System Guidelines from Greywater Action:

Greywater is different from fresh water and requires different guidelines for it to be reused.

Don't store greywater (more than 24 hours). If you store greywater the nutrients in it will start to break down, creating bad odors.

Minimize contact with greywater. Greywater could potentially contain a pathogen if an infected person's feces got into the water, so your system should be designed for the water to soak into the ground and not be available for people or animals to drink.

Infiltrate greywater into the ground, don't allow it to pool up or run off (knowing how well water drains into your soil (or the soil percolation rate of your soil) will help with proper design. Pooling greywater can provide mosquito breeding grounds, as well as a place for human contact with greywater.

Keep your system as simple as possible, avoid pumps, avoid filters that need upkeep. Simple systems last longer, require less maintenance, require less energy and cost less money.

Install a 3-way valve for easy switching between the greywater system and the sewer/septic.

Match the amount of greywater your plants will receive with their irrigation needs.

Manufactured Greywater Systems

As we mentioned before, it's best to keep greywater systems as simple and maintenance-free as possible! But for homes with a sloped lawn, or homes in frigid climates, it may be necessary to call in the professionals. Manufactured greywater systems are available for nearly any budget and any residential application. You can learn more about and Greywater Recycling Systems Inc. to understand more about the options available.

Source: Fix.com Blog

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The Complete Beginner's Guide to Greywater Systems

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There's a reason that a key component of green building is water efficiency and reuse. Nationwide water use statistics are nothing short of staggering. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses 88 gallons of water per day.

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Bespoke green oak benches | Branson Leisure

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Bespoke green oak benches | Branson Leisure

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Branson Leisure constructed 7 bespoke green oak benches ranging from 3.3 to 5.1m long for a client. 'Green oak' is oak that was felled in the last 18 months. The ageing of the wood increases its strength and adds character to its appearance

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...and we could use either wood from 'Oakwrights' or from 'Say it with Wood'. Maybe even 'Wiggins Special Metals' will contribute some girder offcuts...

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Sent them an email asking for blocks of stone for seating

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Premier suppliers of block stone and primary aggregates from quarries in Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire

The Johnston Quarry Group are a leading limestone block quarry and aggregates business with mineral sites based in the Cotswolds, at Oathill and Guiting, as well as Creeton and Ropsley quarry in Lincolnshire. In addition to the quarries, the Group owns Building Stone Ltd and Bath Stone Company.

As a group we supply significant tonnages of dimensional stone and quality aggregates, and you can trust our scale and resources to meet all your requirements, however large they may be.
Get in touch
5 types of block limestone

Full range of graded limestone aggregates

Testimonials

The limestone supplied by JQG is simply just what my wife and I were after. Paul and his team couldn't have been more accommodating with our enquiry, order and delivery. An absolute pleasure to deal with a can do company who are passionate about stone! We have just carried out renovations to our house and Paul was our immediate go to for our internal flooring and external paving. Thank you once again.

Tim Earnshaw // Director // Windrush Car Storage Ltd

An efficiently run quarry, very helpful staff with health and safety a priority. The stone is a premium quality limestone which we use to supply and deliver for our customers throughout the four counties.

Sue // Director // S.J.R. Contractors Ltd

Looking for architectural masonry products?

Building Stone is our cropped walling and masonry processing business. It supplies expertly crafted interior and exterior stone products made to your precise requirements whether you need an individual fireplace or have a large new build house to construct.
Building stone website

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Johnston Quarries | Limestone Block Quarries & Aggregates

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Johnston Quarry Group are one of the largest suppliers of limestone block quarry and aggregates with 7 sites in The Cotswolds & Lincolnshire.

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About us

Hello! We are Berwyn Slate, a small but very productive quarry.

We supply architectural Welsh Slate from our own quarry on the picturesque Horseshoe Pass, near Llangollen, North Wales, as well as Welsh slate or stone from other Welsh quarries. We can manufacture bespoke one-offs cut to size slate or large volumes for flooring or cladding projects.

The quarry is family owned and run. We do the whole process, from extracting slate to finishing bespoke items such as slate worktops, slate hearths, slate window sills, slate flooring, decorative slate chippings and more.

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Supplier of architectural Welsh slate, including slate worktops, slate hearths, slate floor tiles, slate paving, decorative slate aggregates and more.

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Forest of Dean Stone | Natural Sandstone & Paving Stone Suppliers

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Forest of Dean Stone | Natural Sandstone & Paving Stone Suppliers

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Quarry Masters & Masons supplying high quality Royal Forest Pennant Sandstone

We're a family-owned natural stone company, part of Lovell Stone Group, nestled deep in the heart of the magical Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Combining modern, high-tech cutting and processing equipment with traditional masonry skills, we enable architects and designers to create imaginative and innovative schemes using indigenous natural Pennant sandstone.

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Forest of Dean Stone | Natural Sandstone & Paving Stone Suppliers

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Forest of dean Stone Firms is a leading commercial paving and natural sandstone provider in the UK. Browse our website and get in touch today for a free quote.

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All of green oak is 100% PEFC certified, which means that you can be sure that oak you are using is sourced from responsibly managed woodlands.

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Lavender and oak bench border - St Michaels Hospice

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Lavender and oak bench border - St Michaels Hospice

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Cardiff - large rounded boulder seats and curved concrete benches 

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Cardiff - large rounded boulder seats and curved concrete benches 

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'Dry' read on water treatment but could be handy

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'Dry' read on water treatment but could be handy

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Household greywater treatment methods using natural materials and their hybrid system

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Discharge of household greywater into water bodies can lead to an increase in contamination levels in terms of the reduction in dissolved oxygen resources and r

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Sent email to ask for large rocks

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Llangorse Quarry is a local family run business dedicated to providing the highest quality sandstone supplies to the Brecon and mid Wales area. Products include cropped house walling stone, dry walling stone, draining stone, scalpings, crusher run and boulders suitable for rock gardens as well as ornamental features.

We take pride in our friendly, flexible and individually tailored service, recognising that the logistics involved with handling and delivering stone can be challenging, particularly for individuals and smaller projects.

The quarry is open 7.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday but can usually be visited by prior appointment outside these hours such as in the evenings and weekends. For quotes, information on stone, delivery times or anything else stone related Keith is available at the quarry from around 7am - 5pm on his mobile, 07971 783 836. Alternatively e-mail us at info@llangorsequarry.co.uk or use the form on the Contact page.

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Llangorse Quarry produces and supplies red and green sandstone products. We specialise in cut walling stone, cropped stones for building, dry walling stone, crazy paving, boulders, draining stone, scalpings and crusher run. We operate primarily around the Brecon, Llangorse, Tredomen, Talgarth, Llyswen, Bronllys, Hay-on-wye and Builth Wells areas of mid Wales.

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Browse our large range of sawn paving slabs in blue, grey and buff colours. All Yorkstone Supplies products are made in Britain with free delivery available.

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Summary

Endgrain timber has been made into tiles and cobbles for centuries. Their main use was as a surface for paving and roads. The first blocks were round or hexagonal and were used in streets and pavements in Europe, America and Russia. They were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, as they provided a safer surface for horses and wagons. Wooden cobbles gave a better grip for horse shoes and the iron rims on wheels. In London in the late 1800's the City Surveyor, Mr Hayward, made daily observations of accidents "over a long period". He concluded that "A horse would travel before falling. 132 miles on granite set paving, 192 miles on asphalt and 446 miles on wood."

Different woods were used for cobbles and creosoted blocks of Norway pine was popular in many large cities. Wooden cobbles also reduced the noise of traffic. This was of great benefit, especially around the entrances of Victorian train stations in London, where noise echoed off their high vaulted ceilings.

At the beginning of the 1920s endgrain block flooring was also used in major European and American engineering factories. It provided a more forgiving surface for dropped metal components. This industrial flooring is still in use today.

Recently endgrain tile flooring has become more widely used in public buildings and private homes. It is labour intensive to manufacture making it an expensive, but quality product. However it is highly durable compared to long grain timber and makes very attractive and striking flooring. Cobbles are back in vogue as architects and designers appreciate the many qualities that the endgrain of timber offers.

Wooden Roads

There is considerable archaeological evidence from right across Europe for the use of wood as a path or road surface, particularly over boggy areas. From the Bronze Age, nearly 4000 years ago, and up into the twentieth century people have constructed woven wattle paths and log corduroy roads. Some are simple constructions of cut timber laid side by side on the ground, while others are more elaborate constructions demonstrating early carpentry skills.

Wooden roads are not restricted to ancient history. They played a role in road and street construction into the first half of the 20th century before larger and larger motorised vehicles forced them into obscurity. In America, with substantial areas of natural forest, wood was a common building material. America not only used it for building homes, barns, fences, furniture but for roads and streets.

In 1851, Hunt's Merchant Magazine and Commercial Review reported that plank roads had originated in Russia. Lord Sydenham introduced them in Canada and New Yorkers of Onondaga County, impressed by the Canadian experiment, brought them to the United States. The roads were promoted enthusiastically in communities left behind by railroad and canal construction. Where trees were plentiful, a plank road could be built for about $1,900 a mile, whereas macadam would have cost $3,500 per mile.

Wooden Cobbles

While people in rural areas were building plank roads, their urban counterparts were laying wood-block avenues and streets. J. Lee Stevens, a promoter of wood for city streets, published a pamphlet in 1841 which publicised the wood block which paved the streets of London. Steel-tyred wagons and carriages pulled by iron-shod horses amplified a deafening clatter against granite, cobblestones and brick laid to guarantee all-weather surfaces for urban streets.

However metal shoes and wheels wore away paving in less than a decade, so repaving became an essential municipal function. Stevens advocated replacing harder surfaces with wood blocks because of their sound absorption quality. He insisted that wood outlasted stone and was less expensive to install and replace. Stevens estimated 20-year savings of between10% and 30% where wood blocks were substituted for granite.

In 2006 David Whitten, of Auburn University, produced a detailed report entitled "A Century of Parquet Pavements: Wood as a paving material in the United State and Abroad, 1840-1940'. He investigated the global distribution of wood paving blocks, the changes in technology of wood-block treatment, placement and improvement, and the reasons for the disappearance of wood as a paving material. His research has given us a clear understanding of the history and importance of wooden cobbles.

The first examples of endgrain cobbles in London were round or hexagonal and some still remain today. The first cobbles were made from imported Swedish softwoods, which were later replaced by Australian hardwoods, including Jarrah and Kari Eucalyptus. Other British cities opted for Jarrah cobbles following the success of a year-long lecture tour of Europe between 1896 and 1897 by Richard Watkins Richards, Sydney's city surveyor. He extolled the virtues of Australian hardwoods for street paving. In a paper written in 1904 he claimed the hardwoods, including Blackbutt, Tallowwood, Bluegum, Red Gum, Turpentine and Mahogany, were the "nearest to the perfection of an ideal carriageway pavement for all conditions, as traffic, climatic, meteorological and constructional, that are met within cities of all countries".

Endgrain cobbles were said to provide a better surface for horses and wagons with their iron rims. The City of London's surveyor at the time, a Mr Hayward, made daily observations "over a long period" and concluded that "A horse would travel before falling 132 miles on granite set paving, 192 miles on asphalt and 446 miles on wood.''

London boasted wood-block streets as early as 1840. By 1915, wood-block paving was in general use in cities and large towns across Britain. Its growing popularity was due to the fact that it had a longer life under motor-bus traffic than any other smooth pavement that had yet been introduced at an equal expense. Other benefits were the ease with which repairs could be made and the absence of dust and noise.

In 10 of the 28 London boroughs there was 121 miles of creosoted wood block in 1912, including 40 miles in the city of Westminster, where the best retail business streets, government buildings, theatres, museums and art galleries were located. Other cities and large towns across the country adopted wood paving for some of their best streets. In 1915, Canadians anticipated the end of World War I and likely demand for Douglas fir, white spruce, jack pine and red pine for paving British streets. The quantity of timber used by Great Britain for paving in 1913 was estimated to be 60 million feet.

London's most famous streets were still covered in wood blocks until the 1920s and a few into the 1930s. 'Bartholomew's Road Surface Map of London' from 1922, shows most of London's roads surfaced with wooden blocks. A copy is held by the National Library of Scotland. However, by 1925, wood paving was finished as a road material and was replaced with tarmacadam.

Across the Atlantic in America, New York built more than 3,500 miles of wooden roads from 1847 to 1853. It is recorded that James G. McBean, a wood block paving contractor, offered to pave half of Washington Street, between LaSalle and Clark streets, in Chicago, with cedar blocks in 1892.

One of the earliest examples wood block flooring in Wales can be found at Cwrt Plas Yn Dre, in Newtown, Powys. It is also known incorrectly as Owain Glyndwr's Dolgellau Parliament House. This Grade II listed hall house dates to the late 15 th century. It was moved from Dolgellau in 1885 and heavily restored when it was rebuilt. Interestingly it has three inch end grain random oak wood block flooring. The date of its reconstruction is set in the floor using the pattern of the blocks.

In Paris a trial was undertaken of a new system of wood-paving in 1892. Wood paving was also used in the busiest sections of the streets of Melbourne and Sydney in 1894 and Tokyo used creosoted Douglas fir blocks for paving in 1923. A variety of species of timber were used, with creosoted blocks of Norway pine proving satisfactory in many large cities.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Wood Block Paving

Surveyors and engineers of the period debated the advantages and disadvantages of wood as a material for road services. In general it was felt that the advantages were that wood blocks or cobbles:-

Minimised noise;

Were safer for horses than granite or asphalt;

Gave better traction than asphalt;

Were much cleaner than Macadam;

Presented an even, slightly elastic surface which was a great boon to vehicular traffic

Were safer than any other pavement on inclines.

On the downside they felt that:-

Wood absorbs moisture and gave off offensive smells;

Was difficult to keep clean in certain weather conditions;

Was not easy to repair after opening for gas and water pipes

Wooden blocks also made economic sense. The life of wood paving was from nine to twelve years, after which re-paving would be necessary. However half of the blocks would be fit for reuse. Practical experiments showed that, provided the wood used was suitable for paving, the loss of 1/16 th of an inch from a 4.5 inch thick block in a busy street over a period of two-and-a-half years was acceptable.

Wood paving blocks provided a solution as industrial societies around the globe grappled with the high noise levels in their growing cities. During the decades before pneumatic rubber tyres eased the ride and reduced the clatter of steel-wheeled vehicles and iron-shod horses wood blocks were the answer. However the situation was about to change and as Whitton states; "The use of wood-block paving should be considered in light of the demands of turn-of-the-century streets and highways and not in terms of modern construction materials. Wood-block paving was not a failure, it disappeared because needs changed,"

Wood-blocks were not intended as an all-purpose paving material but a special substance for selected streets. City engineers did not envisage a city paved with wood. They felt that wood blocks were appropriate for streets near hospitals, schools, churches and public buildings, like court houses. In these circumstances and in congested streets with heavy traffic where street noise was a great problem, wood was the solution. "Wood-block paving was not a whimsy but a solution to a serious urban problem."

Whitton comments; "It is not easy for modern men and women to imagine the noise generated by hundreds of steel-tyred wagon wheels and horse shoes on bricks, steel iron, or granite block streets sandwiched between multi-levelled buildings. A wooden pavement was no small blessing in the horse and wagon society. Wood blocks were also useful in filling gaps around trolley tracks. The flexible wood was less likely to crack, break, or wander from the vibrating iron or steel rails."

Some Other Uses of Endgrain Timber

At the beginning of the 1920's endgrain block flooring was also used in major European and American engineering factories. It provided a more forgiving surface for metal components if dropped. This industrial flooring is still being used today.

One of the earliest car manufacturing plants in Detroit, USA, the Fisher Body Works, had wood cobble floors. The plant which made Model T Fords was six stories high and used wooden cobbles to absorb vibration from heavy machinery and to reduce noise levels. There are also reports of the cobbles soaking up any escaping oil. Wood block flooring is still used today in many heavy industries in the USA, including bearing and aluminium production, canon manufacturing, power plants and warehousing, in essence any place where a tough floor is needed.

In recent years, endgrain tile flooring has become more widely used in many public buildings and private homes. As well as being attractive and striking, it is highly durable compared to side grain timber.

Sycamore and beech endgrain timber have also been used for butcher's blocks due to its tough, durable and hygienic surface, capable of withstanding repeated blows from cleavers without dulling the blade.

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Endgrain timber has been made into tiles and cobbles for centuries. Their main use was as a surface for paving and roads. The first blocks were round or hexagonal and were used in streets and pavements in Europe, America and Russia.

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Timber cobbles look ace. Wonder how much per meter square. I imagine very expensive but could be used in combo with other materials. Maybe just for path? Worth asking and note charitable and publicity element (positives for them). I see they also do benches etc

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Oak from AllGreen: £218m2

Chestnut from Say it with Wood: £120m2

Larch from Kenton Jones Welshpool £85m2

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...apparently not expensive as waste low grade timber that would usually be chipped - sourced in Powys as well, I've left a message...

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Ideally any non skating surfaces should be permeable to allow water to re-enter the soil and not overload the surface water systems.

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Should the 'safe space' be non skate-able? It would make it safer for new punters...

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https://grasscrete.com/grasscrete/

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Grasscrete Concrete Ltd specialise in producing environmentally frindly, cellular grassed paving, grass roofs and retaining walls

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Milkwood: permaculture courses, skills + stories

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Greywater is a fabulous, though often underused, household resource that should be used wherever possible. Here's a home made 3 bathtub greywater system that's simple but effective.

If you live in an area where water is precious at certain times of year (and when is it not?) then catching, storing and using every drop you can to create a more liveable home and surrounds is an excellent idea.

At Melliodora in Victoria, the studio cottage does its best to do just that, by catching, filtering and re-assigning the greywater to useful purposes in the garden.

While this design will not suit everyone, it will suit some, and it's a simple, cheap and effective way to deal with, process and make the most of a small household's greywater.

There's a couple of types of water that come out of a regular Australian household, which are commonly broken down into a few categories. Opinions on what goes where sometimes differs, but generally speaking:

Greywater - water from the shower/bath, handwashing sinks, washing machine - water that has a low loading of bits in it other than water, and minimal human pathogens (ie poo).

Dark Greywater - water from the kitchen sink and/or dishwasher - water that has a higher loading of proteins, fats etc than greywater, and more 'bits'.

Blackwater - water from the toilet or elsewhere in the house that has a high level of potential human pathogens (ie poo). This type of waste water is *not* suitable for the below greywater system. If possible, build a lovable loo or wheelie bin compost toilet instead (or a commercial composting toilet system), and use your precious water for things other than flushing, which wastes not one but two valuable resources in the process.

The system below is a greywater system that also deals with a small amount of dark greywater - as it processes the outputs of a shower, a kitchen sink, and a washing machine.

With any DIY greywater system, there's a few basic things that you want to achieve with your water:

First in, last out - you want to filter the water as much as possible, and ensure no water can 'jump the queue' somehow and come out the other end unfiltered. This means planning an appropriately sized system for your needs, and making sure the water goes where you want it to.

Maximize dwell time - the more filtering that your water gets in the system, the better. Because this means more time for the microorganisms int he system to do their thing, and clean up your water as much as possible.

That said, every day brings more water, so you also a system that easily manages the outflow, and a plan for where to point/use the water next, after it's been through the system.

Minimize inputs - to the system, in the sense of things like soap, goop, shampoo etc, which make the water more alkaline. Everything you use, or do, has an effect somewhere else in the system. The same is true on a town-greywater level, but we don't notice the effects.

In a home-scale closed loop system however, you do. So use minimal amounts of greywater friendly products to ensure your water is as clean as possible.

Biology works - all hail biology. The more biology you can get onboard to help you with filtering your water, the better. Getting biology do the work minimises complicated systems, external inputs, and is a DIY regenerative approach that can be re-started if an aspect of the system breaks, without buying another one off the shelf.

The below system uses worms, reeds, microorganisms and a cropping bed.

*a note that with the exception of the scoria rock, this system was completely sourced from junk - scavenged parts from the tip, and friend's backyards. So the total cost of building this system was about $50.

This system was designed by David Holmgren and built with friends. It's context-driven, so not suitable for everywhere in the world, but it's a great solution to the needs of this sized building, in this climate, on this budget.

We took the below photos while we were giving this greywater system a clean-out. It's about 5 years old at this point.

Worms, Reeds, Sit, Onward...

So the inputs of this greywater system are from the studio's shower, kitchen sink, and washing machine combined.

The input water goes in the top tub which is a wormfarm, drains to the second tub which is a reed bed, and then sits in the bottom tub until further inputs cause an overflow, at which point the filtered water flows slowly down a ditch drain to a main crop growing bed.

The first tub of the system is a wormfarm. The worms appreciate the regular moisture, and eat up any solids that arrive out of the inlet pipe from the kitchen sink.

The inlet pipe is open at each end, and has a series of small holes all the way down it's length to allow for even-ish distribution of water into the tub.

It's important to keep this first tub well drained so the worms don't drown, so in this tub the water goes in the top, then drains straight through to the bottom outlet.

The base of the worm section is raised on plastic arms holding up a wire mesh (called 'bar chairs', they're used in concreting to hold up the re-bar - you could also use bricks). On top of this sits some old shadecloth which acts as a sieve - worms and their solids stay in the tub, liquids (mainly the greywater) drain out to tub 2.

The shadecloth also makes this tub easier to empty every two years or so, like this day. After harvesting most of the worm castings, fresh straw is put down, followed by a small layer of castings (and worms!) and then covered with more straw.

The system is now set for another 2 years of processing the household waste and water, while building up another valuable harvest of worm castings in the process.

The second tub contains scoria - a local rock that's close to pumice, with lots of cavities for microorganisms, and Umbrella Sedge Cyperus eragrostis - which is a hardy wetland plant suitable for this climate.

The idea for this tub is that the water comes in at one end, and is pushed under tile baffles in the middle of the tub to make a longer journey for the water before it can reach the outlet at the other end of the tub.

While the water is in this tub, it's filtered by the rocks and their resident microbiology, and the roots of the reeds also.

The reedbed part of this kind of system is often the trickiest to renovate and clean, as the roots of the reeds get tangled in the rocks and are generally bloody hard work to dig out, clean, and re-install. In this comparatively small-scale design, this task is manageable because of the tub's size.

The water comes out of tub two and into the holding pond.

Once this fills up, it overflows gently to a clay half pipe and then onto a shallow earth drain which deposits the trickle of outgoing water into a large garden bed used for summer main crops like corn, wheat etc. Green manures are grown in this bed over winter.

The outputs of this third tub could alternately go to a forest garden, shade trees or similar, depending on the needs of the home.

The harvests of this system could be said to be: fertilizer in the form of worm castings plus a main crop of veggies each summer. And a closed loop greywater system that harms no waterways, and empowers it's residents to be more self-reliant. Wins all round.

Thanks to David Holmgren for his help (and building the system in the first place!).

As with any system, there's always room for improvement, and these will surely come over the years. But for now, it's a great little system that works well to process a small household's greywater outputs - with minimal maintenance and cost, plus some beneficial outputs.

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Greywater is a fabulous, though often underused, household resource that should be used wherever possible. Here's a home made 3 bathtub greywater system that's simple but effective.

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Pergola between the two containers with climbing plants for sun shade

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Pergola between the two containers with climbing plants for sun shade

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Like the idea of a shade of some kind. And love the look of this but a solid oak thing may be beyond our means and a temporary structure may suit better. Maybe a sail that can stretched out as needed?

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I've contacted the people who did the canopies at the Yard - just waiting to hear back...

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May not be useful but it's 9m x 9m and going for around £4-5k which is apparently a bargain price. May cost another couple of grand to install...otherwise Spencer can design another which will be smaller (1/2 size) but similar price...

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Urban Organic - Edible Roof Gardens and food growing solutions

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Portfolio - Urban Organic - Edible Roof Gardens and food growing solutions

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Below are a selection of our edible gardens and farms. Please get in contact for a full list of projects.

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Narrow planters with edibles to divide social area/outdoor cafe and skatepark

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Interesting website giving some generic m2 costings for surface finishes

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Interesting website giving some generic m2 costings for surface finishes

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Oak cobbles are super expensive here! Hopefully local & wastewood might be possible...

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Cobbles, Setts, SlimSett Paving & Clay Pavers - Allgreen

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Allgreen's cobbles, setts, slimsett paving and clay pavers come in a wide range of colours, stone, size, finishes and textures to suit your project.

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Generic timber cobble size: 100x100x100mm

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Generic timber cobble size: 100x100x100mm

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Clifton Backless Bench : Curved | Woodscape

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Clifton Backless Bench : Curved | Woodscape

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I've reassessed on the prices they've given and I think we could get away with circa 100m2 of finish surface with circa 150m2 of MOT type 1 sub-base. That would mean circa £7500 for the addagrip resin bound gravel.

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For MOT type 1: two beige blocks surrounded in blue are 110m2 and would have our chosen finish (timber cobbles etc); pale beige by & under the storage container is 50m2: I thought we could add in another 40m2 in order to fill in areas of the car park etc. 200m2 total MOT type 1.

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A large chestnut log approx 30cm diameter with a flat cut on the bottom so it sits flat at 2.4m length would be £59 plus vat with bark on, or £77 plus vat for bark peeled off. A 200x200mm chestnut beam again at 2.4m would be £115.30 plus vat.

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can do interesting patterns tho

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Reckon these chestnut timbers are the way to go. Great to have these quotes! 👏

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the fly ash blocks look good - any idea of price per m2?

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the fly ash blocks look good - any idea of price per m2?

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Not the greatest image but the website and system look like potentials...

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Canyon Man : I come from along line of if it isn't broke don't fix it ! I am surprised that your plantings work that well for you with as few plants as you seem to have.

I have a couple of candidates for possible inclusion to deal with possible heavy metal contamination. Both Horse tail reeds and most all ferns are very good metal
collectors concentrators! This is to the point that the Canadian government sends out warnings to people like myself who enjoy the edible varieties to know the history
of the soil in the region they are picking in.

This may be a non problem for you do to your region and occupation by an once of protection - - -especially if you like the leafy greens that suck-up so much water

For the Good of the Craft ! Big AL

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Due to the drought and lack of production from my well I decided to build a more efficient grey water system. This system has saved my garden this year.

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Say it with wood quotes are a bargain!! I agree we should go with this.

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Say it with wood quotes are a bargain!! I agree we should go with this.

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We were up at the skate park at the weekend - lots of shade down in the shop area & several dead trees that will need removing in the hedge line. Is there a treat surgeon that could have a look? Potentially open up the foliage from around the social area so it gets some sunshine?

Also what is planned for this area at the top? It was super sunny! Possible place for the Chelsea Flower Show piece? much easier to access & install...

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Would picnic benches be useful scattered about the place?

Could small circular shelters & seating be installed attached to/ underneath the floodlights?

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Yes like these ideas for more benches and the idea of circular benches around the lights

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The Planet Good Earth Garden Sponsored by Project Giving Back. First ever skatepark at RHS Chelsea Flower Show - a joyful, edible garden that blends creative sustainable landscaping with recreation opportunities for all ages. IN BRIEF: ◦ Designed by Urban Organic and Betongpark, the Planet Good Earth Garden is a pionee

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RHS garden location more likely to be in the south as more room and less earth plus we have plans for the NE when we get more funds.

Yes we know a tree surgeon skater and agree that needs doing. Bring it up in Thursday's meeting so that Joe can get in touch

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Worth us thinking about doing more than just simple benches as well. These are the original sketch ups from Betong of a couple of years ago showing these nice chunky benches with in built table blocks

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Plus we still may also want to factor the pizza oven in if there's room

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Container move preliminarily booked for Tuesday 14th May

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Container move preliminarily booked for Tuesday 14th May

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Gammons (01432 274907)