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CORE case study · Staindrop

Landscape-led visitor parking at Raby Castle

8,600 m² of CORE GRASS HD and 1,000 m² of CORE COMMERCIAL WHITE delivered visitor parking and accessible routes within Raby Castle’s historic landscape.

Client
Raby Estates
Sector
Heritage visitor destination
Location
Staindrop
CORE components
CORE COMMERCIAL & CORE GRASS
Visitor walking along a reinforced access route at Raby Castle.
CORE project · Staindrop
019,600m²

Total project area

028,600m²

CORE GRASS HD

031,000m²

CORE COMMERCIAL WHITE

046–12 mm

Angular gravel finish

Project context

A landscape shaped by its purpose.

Raby Estate secured planning permission for a phased expansion and restoration of Raby Castle, Park and Gardens. The wider programme combined renovation of the historic attraction with new landscaping, better access to the buildings and additional visitor facilities.

New coach and car parking had to be created on land previously used as pasture, together with accessible walkways through the grounds. The surface strategy therefore had two jobs: cope with the operational demands of a popular visitor destination and remain visually appropriate within rural Teesdale parkland.

The brief

What the project had to achieve.

Accommodate cars, coaches, accessible routes and high visitor traffic without losing the natural character of a historic parkland setting.

  1. 01

    Visitor and coach capacity

    A substantial parking area was needed for everyday visitors and coaches serving the expanded attraction.

  2. 02

    Inclusive routes

    The paths needed a firm surface suitable for wheelchairs and walking aids, improving access across the grounds.

  3. 03

    Parkland character

    The new infrastructure had to blend with pasture, woodland and the wider historic estate rather than dominate it.

  4. 04

    Permeable construction

    The grass and gravel areas needed to remain porous and return rainfall through the supporting build-up.

Close view of a completed gravel surface stabilised with CORE COMMERCIAL.
System detail · CORE COMMERCIAL for firm, permeable gravel routes
The CORE solution

Selected around the site—not just the surface.

CORE GRASS reinforced the main visitor parking within former pasture, while CORE COMMERCIAL stabilised the gravel pathways and access areas.

CORE GRASS was installed across the large visitor car park. The reinforced planted surface provided vehicle capacity while retaining the green appearance of the former pasture and keeping the parking area integrated with its surroundings.

For the accessible paths, CORE COMMERCIAL stabilised the selected gravel finish. The cellular structure restrained the aggregate to create a firmer, more even route for all visitors, including people using wheelchairs or walking aids.

Using two complementary systems allowed the design team to respond to different intensities of use while maintaining one landscape-led language: grass where parking needed to recede, and controlled gravel where movement and accessibility were the priority.

Products & quantities

Products used.

Installation

How the system was installed.

  1. 01

    Pasture formation with earthworks and drainage

  2. 02

    Sub-base, bedding and growing layers

  3. 03

    CORE GRASS HD for visitor parking and CORE COMMERCIAL WHITE for gravel routes

  4. 04

    Seeded grass and 6–12 mm angular gravel finishes

The result

The 9,600m² scheme delivered porous, inclusive visitor infrastructure with grass and gravel finishes that sit comfortably within the Raby Estate landscape.

Project outcomes

  • Natural-looking grass parking within former pasture land
  • Firm gravel routes supporting inclusive access through the grounds
  • Porous reinforced surfaces integrated with the drainage strategy
  • A surface palette that complements the rural woodland setting
Project team

The people behind the project.

Client
Raby Estates
Contractor
Trevor Atkinson & Co
Architect
Alistair W Baldwin Associates
Merchant
Keyline Civils Specialists
Location
Staindrop, County Durham
Technical downloads

Project and product documents.

Sources

Project sources.

  1. Raby Castle case studyCORE Civil Systems
  2. Raby Estate development programmeRaby Estates
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