When Landform Consultants chose our Egyptian Beige limestone paving for the terrace at the prestigious Worplesdon Golf Club, Surrey, they relied on our Bespoke Stone service to deliver high-spec results. Find out what we did.

Golf club terrace in Egyptian Beige limestone with round dining tables
The terrace at Worplesdon Golf Club, simple and elegant with Egyptian Beige limestone paving and bespoke features. Designed and built by Landform Consultants. Photo: Tammy Marlar.

The brief

Worplesdon Golf Club is a classic heathland course in the heart of the Surrey. Laid out in 1908 by the leading golf-course architect of the day, it has a long, proud history, is ranked 31st in the top 100 UK golf courses by Golf Empire and boasts an exclusive membership. The area in question, which had been laid to concrete paving and turf, was due a make-over to reflect its standing.

Why Egyptian Beige limestone?

Edge of long terrace of Egyptian Beige limestone, edged with low hedge. Seating to left.
Matching the colour of the slabs was an important element in this project. Photo: Tammy Marlar.

Egyptian Beige limestone was the perfect choice for a busy golf club terrace. It has pale creamy undertones, with soft pinks and beiges, creating a restful, fresh and elegant ambiance.

Landform chose the Acid-Washed version. This carefully controlled treatment heightens the visibility of the natural fossil markings, drawing out the stone’s charm and showcasing its natural appeal. It's also very hard-wearing. “It’s incredibly dense and robust,” says Craig Potter, London Stone’s Specification Consultant. “It looks good, and it’s got a great price point.”

Why London Stone?

Steps descend next to wall retaining flower bed.
Landform Consultants used matching the Egyptian Beige coping, paving and steps across different levels to create a unified design. Photo: Tammy Marlar

Customer service

Attention to detail is everything, whether in materials or customer service. “London Stone stood out in the competitive tender process," explains Craig, "because of our diligence at the specification stage and getting samples to site quickly.”

And we understand our customers. We can supply the high-end finish that an elite golf club like Worplesdon would expect. We pay as much attention to every detail, and place as much importance on quality, as Landform Consultants, the top-flight landscaping company who redesigned and built the terrace.

This is what Mark Gregory, Managing Director of Landform Consultants, had to say:

“London Stone were appointed as our stone supplier on the Worplesdon Golf course new terracing works. They were very reactive providing samples and, as most of the work was a bespoke order and very exacting on our delivery date, their communication and office support was superb and the accuracy and detailed work spot on. It was joy to get great service at a competitive price point."

Bespoke stone services

Close-up of curved steps with non-slip inserts.
A smooth line with exactly parallel non-slip inserts was vital detailing for these radius steps. Photo: Tammy Marlar.

The project demanded exacting bespoke work. Our Bespoke Stone services are provided from our own on-site facilities, manned by our experienced and skilled staff. This is unique in the market.

The advantage of this in-house facility is that we can keep a close eye on quality and ensure each item is finished to our clients' exact specifications. It also means, from our clients' point of view, that last-minute changes are much easier and faster to implement.

What the project involved

Colour checking

While Egyptian Beige was an ideal choice, the stone has natural colour variations and can run to a gold/yellow. This was something the client definitely didn’t want.  Thus, our samples were hand-picked to represent exactly the colour that would be supplied.

Going forward, we brought our quarry supplier firmly into the picture, asking them to send photographs of every batch of Egyptian limestone, to be signed off before shipping.

Design options

As well as the steps (see below), almost everything we supplied had a bespoke element.

900x600 paving slabs

The paving was calibrated to 30mm. Our normal stock is 20mm thick, but this was a busy terrace with high footfall and the potential of the odd, illicitly placed heavy golf buggy. While 20mm paving on a well-built base should easily be able to cope with this, it was felt that 30mm paving—which is approximately 46% stronger—offered peace of mind and would add something to the quality finish.

Coping for walls and steps

Egyptian Beige coping with pencil round edge profile on top of brick wall.
The Egyptian Beige coping stones, 30mm thick, have a neat pencil round edge profile. Photo: Tammy Marlar

Coping stones are an indispensable part of the design. They add definition to the retaining walls of raised beds and the flanking walls of steps, with a smooth finish that offers a pleasing contrast to the brickwork they crown.

Egyptian Beige Limestone is one four luxury limestone copings which we offer for bespoke designs, the others being Jura Beige, Jura Grey and Portland.

Matching stone pavers

London Stone ranges offers different formats in some of our most popular stone—a real advantage from a design point of view.

Egyptian Beige limestone paving slabs with strip of matching stone pavers inserted. Chair in background.
The Egyptian Beige stone pavers add texture to the paving, as well as a unifying design element. Photo: Tammy Marlar.

In combination with the 900x600 Acid-washed Egyptian Beige paving, Landform incorporated our Antique Egyptian Beige Limestone pavers. Here a runway of pavers helps unite the space, subtly alerts visitors to a change in levels at the top of steps, and even serves as a step tread.

Mixing in a different format of the same material adds texture, movement and subtle contrast and detail that speak loudly of quality design. We have a range of stone pavers to enhance patio designs in matching or contrasting paving.

Pre-sealing

We strongly recommend that sawn stone is sealed, and here all the stone was delivered pre-sealed at our Bespoke Stone Centre.

London Stone's pre-sealing service ensures that stone is protected from the moment it's delivered on-site. That's one less job to do; it means you won't get held up by the weather while you wait to seal in situ; and any accidental mortar spills during installation are easier to clean off.

A public terrace will encounter plenty of spills and breakages, and where stone is sealed it means they are quicker and easier to clean up.

Bespoke curved and non-slip steps

4 Curved steps rise between iron hand rails, from golf club terrace of Egyptian Beige limestone to double doors.
Curved steps in Egyptian Beige limestone, set with carborundum anti-slip strips were manufactured in-house at our Bespoke Stone Centre. Photo: Tammy Marlar.

The steps here were an important feature. Steps make or break a design. Done well, they give a space elegance and poise, as well as being easy to use. All the steps were produced in our Bespoke Stone Centre.

Our laser templating service is often used by contractors to create exact templates for the required slabs. However, here we worked from CAD drawings submitted by Landform themselves, to produce the elegant curve on the radius steps that lead up from the terrace. The bullnose edging was hand-finished to ensure it was smooth and even.

London Stone offers a large range of edge profiles for bespoke steps. This small detail has a big impact on designs and the curve of the bullnose here is a perfect partner for the gentle convex curve of each step. Discover more edge options in Edge Profiles for Steps and Coping.

Flight of 5 Egyptian Beige steps edged with carborundum strips descend between flank walls
These Egyptian Beige steps were cut and set with carborundum strips in our Bespoke Stone Centre. Photo: Tammy Marlar.

The curved steps, like all the other steps in the design, needed carborundum strips to increase safety, as they reduce the chance of slipping and draw attention to the edge of each step. The channels were prepared and the strips inserted at our Bespoke Stone Centre.

London Stone after-care

At London Stone, we love going that extra mile to look after our customers. As well as keeping a close eye on every stage of supply, we’re here for after-care too.

With the busy-ness of installation and the launch of the new terrace, there were a few spills and accidents along the way. Coffee spills were a particular feature and, although the impregnating sealant makes it easier to remove stains, it won’t repel them entirely.

Craig foresaw the potential for problems and not only ensured cleaning materials were on-site during the build, but also provided a Care Kit for the ongoing maintenance of the terrace, so the manager has everything at hand and one less thing to think about in keeping the terrace looking pristine.

It's all part of anticipating what will make life easier for our clients.

The next step

We're very proud to have been chosen to supply this lovely project; it's a testament to our standards of quality and service. We'd love to help you realise your the space you've always wanted.

Contact our Bespoke Stone Centre to find out how we can help.