CR Civil Engineering provide massive infrastructure improvements at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary’s equine centre

Glynn Booth, Regional Director of CR Civil Engineering, came to the aid of Thornberry Animal Sanctuary’s Equine Centre when an email asking for their help was sent. They responded magnificently. A long track of not far off 300 metres was badly eroded with deep ruts along its length. This was starting to cause damage to our vehicles accessing horses at the far end of the track. Horses taken by trailer to our stables (over a mile  and a half away on busy roads) or to new homes, were having to cope with a rough and bumpy ride, unsettling for any horse and especially so for our nervous and inexperienced ones. Thanks to CR Civil Engineering’s substantial work of restoring and resurfacing the lane, starting on April 16th, the stress levels for our horses are now much lower as their journey is smooth throughout, and our vehicles live to be used another day!   And this is not all that CR Civil Engineeering did for us. 

CR Civil Engineering also undertook the hefty job of dealing with a severely rutted and pot-holed gateway between two fields at the end of the track. The torrential and persistent rain for months last year had turned the gateway and area far beyond into a quagmire, worsened by torrents of water escaping from the ponds and drainage that normally kept the flow in check. They dug drainage, inserted large bore drainage piping, and laid and compressed materials to ensure a smooth, dry surface over an extensive area, perfect for horses and handlers to cross in safety in all conditions. They even added a run of fencing alongside the existing ditch to ensure added safety. 

  It took CR Civil Engineering several days to complete the two projects, starting on 16th April 2020, arriving early and working hard, sometimes with as many as 12 workers on site to complete the job. They were an excellent team, great grafters working well together, with time enough however to enjoy a lunch of fish and chips supplied by a volunteer, and to share some entertaining but polite banter with T.A.S staff and volunteers. One brave worker also had his first riding experience on the back of a horse belonging to a T.A.S. volunteer and looked very much at home. Photographs on our Facebook site (large species division) show one of Mark on board, amongst many other pictures telling the story of the work in progress. 

CR Civil Engineering’s work and professionalism would be worth the commercial fees that a  large, efficient and experienced firm rightly deserves; we were hugely impressed. However for Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, they did all this without one penny of reward!  We could not have afforded the job ourselves, certainly not done anything like as well, and are truly overwhelmed by their generosity.  They have done other works of charity, such as in creating a special golf course for people with various disabilities.

Their professionalism and skills are superb but their hearts are beyond compare.