Rural Payments and Services

Steps are only to be used in situations where a ramped path cannot reasonably be constructed without exceeding a 1:12 gradient.

Your Woods In and Around Towns Operational Plan and map must detail the length of the steps and provide justification for their installation.

Timber board and aggregate steps:

• timber board risers fixed in place with half round timber stakes
• step treads filled with Type 1 granular sub-base
• surfaced with 10 millimetres of whinstone or granite dust
• all timber to be treated
• steps to be level and evenly spaced
• width of steps to extend 150 millimetres either side of path width
• height of risers – no more than 150 millimetres
• tread depth – 500 to 1,000 millimetres
• tread sub-base – 150 millimetres level and compacted Type 1
• edges of treads to be dressed of using soil material, compacted, and allowed to seed in naturally
• paint treads of steps with non-slip surface paint in accordance with manufacturers recommendations

Please ensure you abide by conditions set out in the Forestry Grant Scheme claim form and guidance.

Countryside Access Design Guide – Steps

Click 'Download this page' to create a printer-friendly version of this guidance that you can save or print out.