Farm track surfacing in West Sussex

We build and repair farm tracks in West Sussex for working farms, estates, equestrian yards and rural businesses. Most of the county's farm tracks that fail do so for the same reason: water. The Weald's clay holds it, the track sits in it, and every tractor pass pumps the stone down into the mud. A track that lasts starts with getting the water off it and keeping it off.

Tracks on clay, chalk and greensand

West Sussex changes under your feet. Around Horsham, Billingshurst and the Low Weald the ground is heavy clay that stays wet from October to April, and a track there needs a geotextile membrane, a proper depth of stone and grips or cross drains to shed water. On the chalk above Storrington and Steyning the ground drains itself and a thinner construction can be sound. On the greensand ridge through Petworth and Midhurst it is somewhere between. We look at the ground on the day rather than pricing a county-wide specification.

Stone, planings or a bound surface

Crushed stone to dust is the traditional farm track and still the right answer for most field access. Road planings compact into a harder, smoother running surface and suit dairy tracks and busy yard approaches. Where a route carries milk tankers, feed lorries or a lot of traffic to the road, a tarmac or surface-dressed section at the entrance stops mud reaching the highway and saves the stone track behind it. Our planings or stone guide sets out the trade-offs.

Working around the farm

A farm does not stop for a track. We phase the work so stock can still be moved, the yard stays open and the parlour is never cut off, and we keep the gateways passable at the end of every day. On estates we plan around shoots and lettings in the same way.

Grants and the RP4 specification

Some West Sussex tracks qualify for the Countryside Stewardship RP4 hardcore track grant, which fixes a minimum width and depth of stone. Where it applies we build to that specification and say so in the quote. Our farm track cost guide explains what drives the price per metre and how the grant works.

What the quote sets out

We walk the track with you, measure it, look at where the water goes and at what is already under the surface, and give a price per metre with the construction written down: membrane, depth of stone, surface, drainage and the entrance treatment if there is one. Explore our rural and farm access service for the wider picture, or see our coverage of West Sussex.