SUSTAINABILITY

FEATURES
Conserving the bridleway
at Elstead Common
Flooded bridleway in desperate need of repair © Landmarc Support Services
Landmarc Support Services has
worked closely with the Defence
Infrastructure Organisation and Natural
England on a project to restore an old
flooded bridleway and track on Elstead
Common, making it a usable resource
for both military training and the local
community, whilst preserving and
enhancing the protected habitats of a
diverse range of wildlife.
Elstead Common in Surrey, in the South
East Region of the defence training
estate, is an important training feature
for soldiers practising logistics and minor
infantry manoeuvre exercises. It is also
a popular location for walkers, cyclists
and horse riders from the surrounding
villages, and part of a Site of Special
Scientific Interest, a Special Protection
Area and next to a Ramsar wetland on
Thursley National Nature Reserve.
access and access by the emergency
services to respond to heath fires, which
are common in the area.
The solution was to raise the level of the
track and introduce a prominent camber
to enhance drainage. This was achieved
using the old traditional method of
excavating and re-using the existing
green sand from alongside the bridleway
to create holding banks and ditches.
The excavated sand was then
compacted in layers to form a strong
base, raising the bridleway by some
6ft in the worst areas. Rather than just
creating a linear ditch to provide the
drainage solution, the material was
harvested by constructing a series
of linked shallow swales or ponds
alongside the bridleway. These will
slow down the water flow into local
streams and rivers and deliver an
additional structural diversity to the
heathland mosaic that will benefit
wildlife. South facing banks attract
basking reptiles like the sand lizard,
smooth snake and adder as well as
feeding birds such as the dartford
warbler, wood lark and stonechat and
over 20 species of breeding dragonflies
and damselflies. A hibernacula has
also been created from the rotting
wood covered with soil to provide
a safe place for hibernating reptiles,
amphibians and other wildlife.
By adopting old fashioned engineering
methods to manage the water flow,
using natural earth and sods, the
project has delivered a sustainable,
value for money solution with minimal
impact on the environment. The
swales also provide an important
conser vation feature, where local
schools, community groups, Wildlife
Trusts and families can bring children to
safely study the local wildlife.
Robert Hodson
Rural Manager, South East
Landmarc Support Services
A section of the bridleway had become
increasingly prone to flooding over
recent years, with parts more or less
permanently under water. This caused
the area to deteriorate to such an extent
that it was impassable on foot, by horse
or by vehicle, presenting significant
challenges for military training, public
The restored bridleway and track provides year round access for all users © Landmarc Support Services
44
Sanctuary 44 • 2015