There are a number of pathway materials available on the market including; Cockleshells, bark, reclaimed brick, limestone chips, gravel and granite. The main criteria for choice is price and visual appeal.

Cockleshells and bark are relatively soft materials, and as such, will breakdown easier than harder aggregates (i.e. limestone, gravel and granite.)

Limestone can be used as a pathway material but care must be taken on the choice of limestone and the positioning of the path relative to the green, due to its high pH. Limestone comes in many colours including; White, yellow, grey and black. They also vary in hardness ranging from a soft friable material to an extremely hard rock.

Gravel and granite tend to be harder, more durable materials, they are also available in a variety of colours.

When using limestone, gravel or granite it is important to obtain a product which has a wide spread of particle size ranges including dust and very fine material, this being necessary to bind the particles together and create a stable pathway. Using angular particles will result in a more stable pathway than if rounded particles were used.

During pathway construction it is advisable to excavate any unstable material, which would otherwise cause the path to subside, and replace it with stable fill material. The sub-base should be compacted using a heavy roller, then pathway grit laid to a depth of approximately 2" – 3" (50-75mm) and again compacted using a heavy roller. The dust and very fine material will wash down through the material after the first rainfall and therefore should be rolled again to aid compaction.

Consideration should also be given to the drainage of pathways in areas susceptible to flooding.

The information contained on this sheet should be used as a general guide and is not intended as a recommendation or specification for the construction of pathways.

Michael J Higgins
Technical Manager

Rufford Green Chip

Rufford Red Chip