May, 2026
Scotts of Thrapston
Northamptonshire
We worked with Scotts of Thrapston to install varying length 76mm diameter ground screw foundations for a boathouse on a sloping waterside site – overcoming variable ground conditions and a steep gradient to deliver a perfectly level base.
A boathouse sits right at the water’s edge, which brings a particular set of demands that don’t suit any type of concrete foundation.
The ground conditions on this site were far from straightforward – soft in places, firmer in others, and sloping down towards the water.
Getting a level foundation across the full footprint required careful planning before any installation work could begin.
Site assessment and planning
Our Director, Steve, and the project team visited the site ahead of the installation to assess the ground conditions first-hand.
Conducting a pre-installation survey enabled us to understand the soil profile across the entire layout, and also identify areas where depth and specification would need to vary.
We then liaised closely with the Scotts of Thrapston team to agree on the foundation design and went about installing the screws at this beautiful location.
The installation
We installed 76mm diameter ground screws ranging from 1600mm to longer lengths across the site. The variation in screw length was essential – shorter screws where the ground was firmer and shallower, longer screws where we needed to reach more stable soil at depth, and overcome the slope down towards the water.
Each screw was driven to the required depth to achieve a consistent load-bearing capacity across the full layout, with brackets adjusted above ground to bring everything to a perfect level. The result was a flat, stable foundation on a site that slopes considerably from one end to the other.
With no excavation or concrete, the waterside environment remained as idyllic as it was when we started.
There was no risk of concrete leaching into the water, no spoil to remove, and no lasting damage to the bank or surrounding ground.
The results
The finished foundation provides Scotts of Thrapston with a rock-solid, perfectly level base for their boathouse – on a site where traditional concrete foundations would have been far more disruptive, time-consuming, and potentially damaging to the waterside environment.
A boathouse is one of those projects where ground screws aren’t just the better option – they’re really the only practical one. The combination of waterside proximity, sloping ground, and the need for a clean installation rules out concrete in almost every respect.
It was a pleasure to work with the Scotts of Thrapston team on a project that plays perfectly to the strengths of ground screw foundations. We look forward to the next one.
