Charcon supplies the magic at Hampton Court play garden

Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division of Aggregate Industries, has successfully completed the supply of StoneMaster block and flag paving to Hampton Court Palace’s new Magic Garden.

The project, which was opened by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, has been hailed as one of the most ambitious playgrounds at any historic property in Britain. Set within King Henry VIII’s former Tiltyard, where Tudor tournaments played out, it is designed as a unique way for families to explore the palace’s past. The interactive play garden features mythical beasts, with battlements to storm, towers to besiege and a secret grotto

Working in partnership with landscape architect Robert Myers Associates, and Historic Royal Palaces, Charcon provided a paving solution that would not only offer flexible laying patterns but also complement the natural stone paving elsewhere in the Palace grounds. In total, 500m2 of Charcon’s StoneMaster flag and block paving was specified for the hard landscaping elements of the project, including the entrance area, the mound and the perimeter pathway edgings.

Mike Davies, Specification Manager at Aggregate Industries, said: “The overall brief for the project was to create an imaginative new garden for families, drawing on inspiration from the rich history of the palace. Historic Royal Palaces wanted a product that was easy to maintain whilst also being able to create a design that would reflect a time gone by. This is where the mixed sizes of StoneMaster came into play as the flexibility of the laying patterns to create this effect were endless. Furthermore, it provided the client with a cost-effective alternative to natural stone, supplied ready-coated with urban surface protection to make it easier to maintain.

“A key challenge was ensuring the correct delivery of the large number of varying sizes required for the project, something we were able to effectively manage by working in close partnership with landscape architects, Robert Myers Associates, and subcontractors, Frost Landscapes, who carried out the work.”

StoneMaster offers the inherent beauty of natural stone and is available in three shades of grey, replicating natural granite and Yorkstone. It has a pencil chamfer for enhanced aesthetics and protection against laying damage. It comprises up to 50 per cent reclaimed and recycled material in the complete mix design and offers an economical alternative to natural stone.