uadConsult Ltd. was appointed to design a retaining wall to replace a collapsed section of the existing wall in Clevedon, Somerset. The original wall dates to Victorian times and is a traditional stone retaining wall standing more than 4m high. Although some parts had collapsed and been replaced with a concrete structure over the years, and the wall was later restrained by buttresses in the 1980s, the section that failed in early 2024 was original stonework.

The challenge was to design a section 4m wide and 4m tall that had to fit seamlessly into the existing wall and match its appearance. Two constraints made this particularly demanding. First, although the wall had collapsed, the utilities running through it remained largely intact and had to be kept in service throughout construction, and the client also required continued access to the houses on Highdale Road while the work was carried out. This left room for a heel of only 1m at the base — significantly less than a wall of this height would normally require. Second, the existing buttresses could not be relied upon, as they had been retrofitted to the wall and were not bound either to the older stonework or to the rock stratum beneath it.

The Highdale Road retaining wall demonstrates that even a smaller project can be technically demanding, calling for ingenious solutions that are structurally sound and will serve the community for many years to come.