Introduction

Although the history of artificial land drainage can be traced back to Roman times and possibly earlier, it was probably not until the latter part of the Middle Ages that any work of significance was carried out in Britain. This took the form of the still familiar system of ridge and furrow ploughing.

From around 1600 land was gradually enclosed and the field ditch system began to take shape. By about 1700 urban populations were on the increase and the resultant rise in demand for food led to the Enclosure Acts from which it has been said the origins of modern farming can be traced. A first effect was to show the need for more efficient methods of drainage as an alternative to the surface run-off system in general use at that time. There were a few examples of early experiments with underdrainage and this idea was followed by the use of such materials as brushwood (faggots), local stone and baked clay roofing tiles (hence the term ‘tile drains’) as a means of maintaining a free flow of water underground. Various designs of baked clay piping were later developed but it was not until 1845 that a machine was invented for the manufacture of round clay ware pipes by the extrusion method. This led to a great reduction in price and it became possible, under the supervision of the Enclosure Commission, for owners to borrow money for drainage improvement against the security of their land. From this time on Government assistance by way of financial help and technical advice has consistently encouraged the improvement of farmland by artificial drainage.

Through the centuries the stimulus for the development of methods of artificial drainage has been provided mainly by the need to improve crop yields, the modus operandi for this being the installation of integrated systems of underdrains and/or open ditches.

From a study of the history of land drainage it is hard to discover any reference to the drainage of land for recreational purposes until after the First World War. The few text books published that refer to playing fields and sports grounds advocate methods of drainage similar to those employed for agriculture, regardless of the fact that the problem is seldom one of a high ground watertable but much more frequently a problem of getting superficial water off the grass playing surface. In consequence, many schemes of drainage for the improvement of recreational land, though carried out at considerable expense, have failed to achieve their purpose. This has generally arisen because of the failure to provide adequate means whereby surface water could be cleared to underdrains through a topsoil made impermeable by the heavy treading of players' feet in wet weather.

Research carried out since the mid-1960s in the USA, Britain and Europe, has improved our understanding of how best to use sand, either to improve permeability by ameliorating the whole of the topsoil, or confining the sand to a full, integrated, by-pass system of vertical slits linked through to underdrains. As a consequence the drainage designer can now adopt a more scientific approach to drainage problems and specify with greater accuracy the rate of drainage likely to be attained.

However, successful sports ground construction is not solely a matter of getting the drainage right. The end-product must promote healthy, vigorous grass growth, and meet the specific requirements of the games for which it is intended. This generally means that, while the nature of the construction will dictate major essential features of maintenance, so also will the specific requirements of the game and the equally characteristic features of wear that are the inevitable consequence of use. Nothing created in sports turf will remain for long as constructed unless maintained in a manner sensitive to the inherent trends towards change that have to be continually controlled. Like the pilot of a hovering helicopter, a groundsman has to work hard merely to stand still.

If full advantage is to be taken of the modern techniques explained in detail in the following pages, there is no substitute for a careful initial design and diligent advance planning. Rarely will amendments after installation be as economic as getting it right initially.