KERSEY VILLAGE

Peashingle was subsequently used in the

first stage of a two-part resurfacing of the

footways in Kersey. The village is unusual

in that it straddles the steep valley of the

River Brett, and the main street has

gradients not normally found in East

Anglia. As large numbers of visitors are

attracted to the village it was essential to

ensure a hardwearing but attractive

surface.

In 1991, following extensive

consultations between the County

Surveyor and the District Council, the

footpaths were resurfaced in peashingle.

The areas directly fronting the properties

on the street were laid with white floor

bricks to give the impression of private

space and to keep visitors away from

cottage windows.

The scheme was carefully programmed

with meticulous attention to detail, to

avoid the high tourist season and hot

summer temperatures. The footpath was

initially reconstructed and finished in a

normal blacktop, some 8 mm below the

top of the kerb. Within a few days, a

specialist contractor tar sprayed the new

footpaths and applied the peashingle

dressing. Most of the peashingle was held

in place immediately and any’ surplus left

for several weeks to allow the binder to

absorb the maximum amount of dressing.

The loose material was subsequently

brushed off when the tar binder had

cured, leaving an attractive durable

surface, well suited to the village

environment. There was initial scepticism

from the Parish Council, but there is now

general satisfaction and phase II of the

scheme is currently under construction.

Peashingle has proved its suitability in an

extremely difficult location.

Ballingdon was once a linear village

separated from the town of Sudbury by

the River Stout. ‘Whilst it has now been

absorbed into urban Sudbury and is one

of the principal routes into the town, it

still retains the quality and character of a

village. Ballingdon Street was included in

the Sudbury Town Scheme in 1989 and

to date over £500,000 worth of repair

and renovation work has been

undertaken. Both Babergh District

Council and Suffolk County Council

have a commitment to carrying out wider

improvement works to the Town Scheme

area. A unique opportunity arose in 1992

when there was need for extensive repair

to the carriageway and footways as part of

a huge programme of works throughout

much of Sudbury. At the same time the

District Council was proposing to

underground over half a mile of some of

the worst wirescape in Suffolk and the

two authorities agreed to undertake a

joint enhancement project. Following

extensive consultations involving every

property owner in Ballingdon Street, it

was agreed that neither blacktop nor any

form of paving would be appropriate

surface for the footways. A local historian

provided an early photograph of the

Street, showing modest cottages and

grander houses standing in a simple

uncluttered street scene with light

coloured footways.

It was decided to use peashingle yet

again, but in this instance mixed equally

with pink granite chippings to tone down

the strong buff colour and give it a

warmer colouring. These sharper

chippings assisted in the purchase of the

dressing to the binder. The mixture was

applied to the footways following the

completion of the work to underground

overhead wires and removal of redundant

poles. The planning, funding and

implementation of this project was

undertaken within a hectic nine months.

The judges of the 1993 Street Design

Competition said of the completed

scheme:

“The resulting design displays

imagination and sensitivity in

choosing a neutral floorscape of

predominantly peashingle which does

nothing to compete with and therefore

detract from the already charming

building frontages.”

The re-introduction of peashingle as a

surfacing material in Suffolk’s village

conservation areas has been a success

story. It is a simple traditional material

that is warm in colour and complements

and enhances the wealth of fine buildings

found in these villages. It provides a

durable safe walking surface which is

easily maintained. Some precautions are

advised: first, it is best to use a specialist

surfacing contractor working to strict

specifications and secondly it is important

to consult and fully inform residents that

loose material will be required to be left

on the footways for a temporary period.

At £2.30 per square metre, it proves the

exception to the general rule that

enhancement work has to be expensive. It

is a solution which owes its success to

simple understatement.

BALLINGDON STREET, SUDBURY

CONTEXT 41

17