1959-60

838
RECREATION GROUNDS
LAY-OUT
The first essential is that a plan of the complete scheme should
be prepared, thoroughly considered, and approved before any work
is started.
The preparation of recreation grounds is naturally costly,
especially Cricket Tables, Tennis Courts, and Bowling Greens, and
any deviation once the work has been commenced means waste of
money.
In the first instance, therefore, a careful inspection of all available
land should be made, consideration being given to the nature of the
soil, levels, and position. A good plan is to inspect sections of the
soil and sub-soil. Local knowledge is often helpful in finding
existing drains and any tendency to flooding in wet weather.
When the area to be developed has been selected, the following
points should be studied
(i) Orientation.
(2)
The position of ditches, water supply and sewer.
(3) Allotment for space for pavilion, sanitary services, car park,
turf nursery, compost heap, tool shed, and rubbish heap.
Laying out a ground needs greater knowledge than is generally
appreciated. The expert will not only plan the area so that the
best possible use is made of it, but will in many cases save much
unnecessary work. It is strongly recommended that no one should
attempt this class of work unless competent so to do.
LEVELLING
When the only available site is on land where the gradients are
such that they are unsuitable for the formation of a recreation
ground without a considerable amount of work being carried out,
then the proposition really becomes one of engineering. A survey
should be made of the ground, levels taken, sections prepared, and
from these a scheme conceived, working out the minimum gradients
which would be practicable when considered in connection with
the various sports intended. A longitudinal grade not exceeding
I
in 6o, and a cross grade of
I
in 8o, will produce a suitable surface
for football, etc.
The blocking out of the formation level on the basis of equal
It
cut and fill " is, of course the most economical one, and the only
one worth considering unless it is possible to throw open the land
as a " free shoot " after removing any valuable top soil and get it
filled up to the necessary gradients. This is sometimes unsatis-
factory and, assuming that there has been turf on the land, consider-
able difficulty might be experienced in replacing the top soil and
turf as it originally existed.
Sometimes fields taken for sports grounds are in old ridge and
furrow. If extreme, levelling is essential and can often be done
by rolling the turf back from a mid line down the furrow, then
filling wits imported soil and returning the coils of turf.
If the formation level is blocked out on the basis of equal " cut
and fill," then the turf, if any, first of all should be cut and, if space
permits, laid out flat for re-use, also the top-soil, which should be
put back to an even thickness.