Dunfermline Southern Gateway
Client: Fife Council
Overview: Environmental improvements with natural stone slabbing, kerbs and channels, whin setts road resurfacing, drainage and street lighting.
Timing: February - July 2008
Contract Value: £603,000
Awards: International Green Apple, June 2009
In 2008 we were awarded the contract to carry out environmental improvements around the Abbey and Royal Palace in Dunfermline. The aim was redevelop the historic quarter of Dunfermline – Scotland’s ancient capital – in order to complement the buildings of historic significance in the area.
The project involved the full reconstruction of both carriageway and footpath areas of Monastery Street and St Catherines Wynd. The area fronting the Abbey used recycled stone from the site. The existing setts were excavated, cleaned and graded prior to relaying on a concrete substructure and on a propriety mortar/grout system. The remainder of the site was constructed from new granite setts and yorkstone paving. Again, it was laid on a concrete sub-structure and a propriety mortar/grout system.
A new street lighting system was installed along with street furniture (bins, cycle hoops and seats). New granite bollards and feature stainless-steel lettering within the granite channels were installed to the focal areas at either end of the site.
The existing drainage system was upgraded and additional gullies were installed throughout the works. Once the hard landscaping works were completed, the adjacent areas were landscaped with shrub planting and turf.
A resident archaeologist was on site during the excavation stage of our works. During our works there were several significant finds. These included the foundations of Queen Margaret's House; an original boundary wall, two metres wide, running down the full length of Monastery Street; the complete base of a lime kiln; and part of a lade which fed the water mills located on the boundary of our site.
During the excavations, additional archaeologists were brought to site to expose and record the features discovered. This increased the project duration by three weeks in total. As a company, we gained invaluable experience working alongside the archaeologists as they went through the step-by-step excavation of the site.
In June 2009 we were presented with an International Green Apple Award at Hampton Court Palace. This award recognises high-quality work within the field of the built environment and architectural heritage.