Professional riding arena construction, refurbishment, and equestrian groundworks across the East Midlands.
CDS Arenas & Groundworks is a locally owned company serving Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and beyond.
CDS Arenas is a Derbyshire-based equestrian construction company specialising in riding arenas, equestrian groundworks, and drainage solutions. Owner-operated by Chris Smith, we focus on delivering reliable, high-quality work to horse owners across the East Midlands.
From equestrian arena construction to groundwork and maintenance, CDS Arenas & Groundworks offers a full range of services:
New builds, extensions, refurbishments, and new arena surfaces.
Ongoing upkeep, levelling, fibre and surface improvements.
Stable bases, horse walkers, concrete yards, retaining walls, access tracks, car parks.
Arena drainage, land drainage, problem ground and water management.
Post and rail, paddock fencing, arena fencing.
Durable, all-weather turnout areas to keep your horses mud-free and moving year-round.
Arena location has a huge bearing on cost. Think about access for machinery and materials, and how much cut and fill will be needed before deciding on your site.
Size is dictated by budget, space and usage. Show jumping arenas are usually 60m x 35m. Novice dressage is 40m x 20m, advanced 60m x 20m. Consider extras like mirrors and floodlights.
Once you have decided on size and location, apply for planning permission. Remember to include additional work such as access roads, mirrors and floodlights in your application.
Groundworks create a level, solid sub-base. This can involve a simple soil strip or a cut and fill on slopes. The ground is stripped, levelled, and compacted heavily to prevent sinkage.
A key part of an arena build is getting the drainage right with the correct materials and falls to ensure it works properly all year round.
The base layer stone has two jobs: allowing water to reach the drains quickly and providing a stable base to carry the weight the arena is subjected to.
Typically a woven membrane goes on the sub-base, with a second non-woven membrane separating the surface from the stone base. We use strong 450gsm+ membranes.
Whether silica sand and fibre, rubber, waxed or non-waxed, your surface must ensure the right grip, shock absorption and support to give rider and horse total confidence.
We handle every aspect of the build, from the initial earthworks and drainage to the final fencing and surface laying. No sub-contracting hassles, just one reliable team.
Specialist equestrian groundworks, done properly.
Proven, dependable service
High-standard finishes that last
Owner-led from quote to completion
Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire based
Experienced equestrian specialists
Rated 5/5 based on our Facebook and Google reviews
"Used them for 2 things now. First for creating an area for haylage, second was to lay a base for a 20x10 summerhouse. Both jobs were done quickly and to a very good standard. Highly recommend."Dave Tarbox
"Brilliant company, highly recommend. CDS built turnout paddocks for us which have been amazing over winter. Chris has also carried out maintenance on our arena which is now riding brilliantly, sorted the yard drainage and re fenced the fields. CDS are my 'go to' company now. Excellent work, lovely person to work with, really helpful."Jackie Goacher
"Extremely happy with the work done. Very professional, friendly and efficient. Highly recommended for any equestrian or outdoor groundworks."Emma Jablonski
"Great service, very reliable. Really pleased with my arena refurb and fibre surface. Highly recommend."Emma Jablonski
Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you with a no-obligation quote.
Phone
07890 493108
[email protected]
Areas Covered
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Leicestershire