For a new stone track to a field, barn or house, a hard-standing for a yard or field shelter, a gateway that turns to mud every winter, or an old track that has lost its foundation. A contractor digs out, builds up and finishes a surface that carries the traffic you actually have.
A new track starts with stripping the topsoil and soft material down to firm ground. A geotextile membrane is usually laid to stop the stone sinking into the subsoil, then a sub-base of crushed stone is built up in layers and compacted with a roller.
The surface layer is chosen for the use: scalpings or a finer crushed stone for a smooth drive, a coarser stone for tractor and lorry traffic. The finished track is shaped with a camber or cross-fall.
Drainage is built in from the start: side ditches, cross drains and culvert pipes where the track crosses a wet dip or a watercourse. Repairs to existing tracks often come down to digging out the failed sections and rebuilding them properly, with the drainage fixed.
Late spring through early autumn is the best building window, when the ground is dry enough for machines and lorries to work without churning up the subsoil and the stone can be compacted well.
Winter work is possible on firm or frozen ground, but plan ahead: stone deliveries need access for heavy lorries, and the field alongside a new track will take the brunt of the construction traffic.