Marston Equestrian Building, Derbyshire

Providing a safe, weather-proof environment for his daughters to exercise their horses in, was Peter Bull’s main aim when he constructed a new equestrian building at his specialist joiners and builders premises in Marston Montgomery, Derbyshire. Secondary to that was his desire to construct a building that sat well with the others at the site and blended in sympathetically with the rural surroundings.

Peter’s attention to detail and knowledge of the building materials available has led to a building that is not only a pleasure to ride in, but one that also complements its surroundings beautifully.

“One of my daughters was involved in an accident on the road near here, and it was a real game changer for me,” says Peter. “I knew I wanted to provide them with a safe and secure place to exercise their horses, whatever the time of day or weather.”

The 20 x 40m indoor riding arena has a height of 4.5m to enable plenty of clearance when horse and rider are jumping, and is seven purlins long. The site itself sloped by about 1.5m from front to back so had to be built up and levelled before construction began.

Peter used Eternit profile 6 fibre cement roof sheets in Laurel Green and natural Yorkshire boarding, to help the building blend in with the surrounding agricultural land. As well as providing excellent noise and thermal insulation, the composition of the high strength fibre cement reduces condensation within the building, which is important when multiple horses and riders are exercising inside.

Being able to select from a wide range of roofing sheet colours was particularly important to Peter, as he wanted to choose a colour that would fit in with the building’s rural location.

“Come the spring we’ll landscape the area around the arena, but I’m really happy with the way the building looks and how it fits in,” he says.

“By roofing the arena we’ve provided a safe, comfortable place for my daughters to train in day or night, and we can lock the door and leave horse equipment in there without fear of it being stolen. The building is performing well and the atmosphere is clear and refreshing, even when it’s full of sweating horses. It’s a pleasant place to be.”