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Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

May 11, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers At Haileybury School in Hertfordshire, Kress robotic mowers are playing a key role in helping the grounds team maintain consistently high standards across a 500-acre estate. For Head of Grounds and Gardens Andy Richards, the technology has become an important part of a wider strategy to manage […]

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

May 11, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s Selected attendees from GroundsFest Academy events were recently given the opportunity to experience a truly unforgettable day at Lord’s Cricket Ground, widely regarded as the Home of Cricket. The exclusive experience day offered delegates a behind-the-scenes look at elite-level turf management within one of the world’s most […]

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

May 11, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

May 11, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

May 11, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

At Haileybury School in Hertfordshire, Kress robotic mowers are playing a key role in helping the grounds team maintain consistently high standards across a 500-acre estate. For Head of Grounds and Gardens Andy Richards, the technology has become an important part of a wider strategy to manage a busy, high-pressure site more efficiently.

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

Set within a co-educational boarding and day school environment, the grounds are in near constant use.

“We’re a 365-day school,” says Andy. “We’ve got students, lettings, tournaments and events throughout the year, so the pressure on the grounds never really stops.”

With 17 winter sports pitches, cricket facilities and extensive amenity areas, the demands are relentless, particularly on heavy London clay soils.

“It’s probably the most unforgiving soil you could have,” he explains. “It holds water in the winter and then dries and cracks in the summer. The weather just adds to that pressure.”

Haileybury’s journey into robotic mowing was not immediate. Like many in the industry, Andy initially viewed the technology with curiosity rather than intent.

“We were aware of robotics and where the industry was going, but at first we couldn’t really see where it would fit for us.”

That changed when noise became an issue on the main school quad.

“It’s a high-profile area right in the centre of the school, but we had complaints during exam periods because of loud mowing. We needed a solution that could work quietly and out of hours.”

Early trials with other systems fell short.

“We tried a few other brands, but the finish wasn’t good enough and the mowing patterns were too random,” Andy says. “It didn’t give us the quality we were looking for.”

A demonstration from Kress changed everything.

“The Kress demo was a game changer. To see a mower cutting in straight lines and producing a proper striped finish was completely different. Everyone was blown away by it.”

Unlike most robotic systems, Kress machines use satellite-guided navigation combined with their own RTK network, removing the need for on-site antennas. This ensures the aesthetic of historic grounds remains uncompromised, while enabling operation without line of sight and even under tree cover. The result is greater flexibility in the areas that can be maintained, with fewer operational limitations.

That flexibility has proved invaluable across the estate.

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

“We’ve got a range of Kress robots now and they’re an integral part of our toolkit,” Andy explains. “We use them where they fit best and move them around the site depending on demand.”

On the main quad, the robots deliver consistent presentation throughout the week, while on sports surfaces, they have opened up new possibilities during difficult conditions.

“This winter was so wet we couldn’t get machinery onto some of the outfields,” he says. “But the Kress robots kept working. We’ve been able to bring cutting heights down gradually and get surfaces ready for play when we otherwise couldn’t.”

able improvements has been the consistency of cut and overall turf health. Because the machines operate continuously with sharp blades and follow structured mowing patterns, the finish is more uniform and the sward responds well.

“You get a much cleaner cut,” Andy says. “And because it’s cutting all the time, it helps with things like worm casts. It’s massively reduced the impact without any chemical control.”

For Andy and his team, the biggest benefit is not just time saved, but how that time is reinvested into other work.

“It gives us more flexibility,” he explains. “We can spend longer on the key areas like cricket pitches or first team surfaces, while the robots keep everything else in top condition.”

With pupils, staff and visitors on site seven days a week, presentation is a constant priority.

“The place has got to look its best every day,” Andy says.

For him, robotic mowing is now firmly embedded in how the site is managed.

“Without hesitation, I’d recommend Kress,” he adds. “You can walk around any site and see where a Kress robot would make a difference. It’s helped us raise standards everywhere.”

For more information, please visit https://www.kress.com/en-gb/

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GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

May 11, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

Selected attendees from GroundsFest Academy events were recently given the opportunity to experience a truly unforgettable day at Lord’s Cricket Ground, widely regarded as the Home of Cricket.

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

The exclusive experience day offered delegates a behind-the-scenes look at elite-level turf management within one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues. Hosted by Lord’s Head Groundsman Karl McDermott, the day combined practical learning, networking, and insight into the precision and planning required to maintain world-class cricket surfaces.

Throughout the morning, attendees explored every aspect of stadium turf management, including access and zoning logistics, matchday preparation, wicket and outfield construction, drainage and irrigation systems, grass species selection, and managing weather impacts. Delegates were also given access to machinery, equipment, and operational areas rarely seen by the public, alongside a personal tour of the famous square and outfield.

For Peter Dawson from Berkshire College of Agriculture, the visit was both inspiring and educational.

“Obviously, Lord’s is iconic – the home of cricket. It’s been fantastic. Karl took us around the ground, showed us the pitches and explained the techniques behind preparation and renovation. I really enjoyed learning about how he works with his staff and apprentices, particularly the responsibility they’re given. Each member of staff prepares their own pitch for matches, which I thought was a brilliant way to help people learn and develop confidence.

It’s definitely something I can take back into my apprenticeship role at BCA.”

Mark Morgan from Belper Meadows Cricket Club described the experience as a “bucket list” moment.

“When you hear the word Lord’s, you immediately think of the best-looking ground in the world and the home of cricket. To actually walk onto the square and see how everything operates behind the scenes was incredible. We learnt so much about renovations, pitch planning, wetting agents, and the processes they use throughout the season. Karl was brilliant and really open with sharing his knowledge. It’s also fantastic what GroundsFest is doing because there aren’t many opportunities like this available to everyday groundspeople.”

For Greenkeeper Garry Letheren, the experience highlighted how knowledge can transfer across different sectors of the industry.

“You see Lord’s on television all the time, but to come here and understand what goes into maintaining it is something completely different. Even though I work in golf, there are still so many practices and ideas you can take away and adapt. Karl showed us everything from pitch preparation stages to machinery and long-term planning across the year. It was incredibly insightful and a fantastic opportunity to actually walk on the outfield and see things up close.”

GroundsFest Academy Director of Education Bradley Tennant said the experience days were created to give something extra back to the industry.

“The whole reason behind these days was to create new opportunities and give more back to the industry. We already provide free educational events, but these experience days allow selected attendees to step inside environments they may never normally get to see. Venues like Lord’s are iconic, and for many people this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s not just about seeing the venue; it’s about learning from experienced professionals, sharing stories, networking, and taking ideas back into the workplace. The feedback we’ve had has been incredibly positive and we’ll definitely be doing more experience days in the future.”

The GroundsFest Academy experience at Lord’s once again demonstrated the value of hands-on learning, industry collaboration, and creating opportunities for professionals to gain insight from some of the very best in the business.

The free sustainability assessment tool is now available at www.groundsfestacademy.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on X, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFestAcademy for much more news, reviews and insightful views

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

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Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

Raising standards at Haileybury with Kress robotic mowers

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

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