Day 26 - Saturday 2 June - Starting the sand layer

Tractor drawn hopper laying a few centimetres of sand on top of the mat.

The effect of the sand can be seen clearly alongside a stretch of the clean mat.

Comparison of sanded and un-sanded layer of mat.

View from the back of the main grandstand looking north west. The bright green area has yet to be treated with sand.

View from the back of the main grandstand looking north east. In the foreground are several metres where the mat has not yet been laid.

A brush on the front of the tractor loosens up the fibres and attempts to dry out the sand following recent rain.

The brush rotates anti-clockwise lifting the fibres and spreading the sand.

It's still quite a dusty affair.

A sandy area yet to be fully brushed.

More layers of sand are added on the right. The area left centre had been brushed several times. The area on the left has been brushed but needs several more passes.

Low level view looking towards the Stowford Press Stand showing that more brushing is needed.

From time to time the tractor is reassigned to lay more mat just in front of the main grandstand.

One of the final rolls of mat being laid.

Despite an almost complete covering of sand on the pitch there are still many tons of sand to spread.

Changing the brushes on this piece of equipment ready for use. Whereas the brush used so far rotates this brush oscillates from side to side.

Although the mat doesn’t yet cover the full width of the pitch it’s time to start adding the sand.   A tractor drawn hopper deposits a layer of sand a few centimetres thick.    Because of recent rain the sand is quite damp and difficult to manage.   The brush on the front of the tractor is attempting to dry out the sand as well as dispersing it.   The brushes rotate in the opposite direction to the way the fibres naturally lay when the mat is laid down.   Nonetheless it takes several passed for the sand to bed into the fibres.   The final few layers of mat are laid down and sewn whilst sand is spread on the matted area of the pitch.