Harrow School, West London

MJ Abbott successfully won the tender for the reconstruction works to the First Eleven Sixth Form Cricket Ground at the prestigious Harrow School. The project was designed and overseen by Rob Everett of STRI Ltd.

The works were started in July 2012 and were completed in July 2013.

MJ Abbott carried out the following scope of works:

• Topsoil strip of entire working area, cut & fill earthworks and final trimming to subsoil formation
• Diversion of 300mm diameter Thames Water sewer main to enable earthworks to progress
• Installation of main drains, Advanedge panel drains to formation of outfield, and traditional piped primary drainage to surrounding area
• Importation and placement of 2/6mm gravel raft to outfield area
• Construction of new cricket square including importation and spreading of Surrey Loams 125 GOSTD cricket loam
• Importation and placement of topsoil to cricket outfield together with topsoil re-spread of existing soil to the remainder of the surrounds
• Sand importation and spreading to outfield and surrounds and amelioration into the surface of the topsoil
• Cultivation and seeding with Johnsons Fescue seed to the outfield and Johnsons Wicket to the cricket square.

The site had a very difficult access so deliveries and plant movements needed to be carefully planned. The approval from Thames Water for the sewer main diversion caused a significant delay to the project and prevented the works being completed in 2012 as originally planned. The new cricket square was constructed prior to the remainder of the outfield being finished to provide it with the longest possible grow-in prior to the planned first match in 2014.

www.harrowschool.org.uk