Barton Marina is a popular waterfront venue, attracting visitors all year round to shop, eat, fish and even catch a show at the sensitively restored canal-side development. With a delightful combination of boutique shops and a relaxed family restaurant, Barton Marina also incorporates heritage walks and nature trails through the neighbouring wildlife area.

Designed to reflect the heritage aesthetic of buildings in the Burton-upon-Trent area, the development was to be done sympathetically and sustainably, with a strong emphasis on the use of natural materials and those with a more traditional appearance. The main focal point for the scheme is the newly constructed Waterfront restaurant overlooking the 130-berth marina, built in the style of a Victorian canal-side warehouse from Wienerberger’s Reclaimed Shire Sovereign Stock bricks. To complement the traditional colouring of the brick and grey slate of the buildings, Building Design Group of Tamworth chose the Blue Vintage Brindled Tumbled paver to complete the external landscaping.

The rough textured surface of the tumbled paver not only gives a reclaimed appearance, as with the Shire Stock bricks, but provides additional slip resistance qualities to the walkways around the marina. The Blue Vintage Brindled also enabled the re-creation of a part of the region’s industrial heritage as the tone is reminiscent of the engineered Baggeridge Blue bricks that were often used to reinforce the surface of well worn tow paths in the past.

As the continuation of the historic aesthetic was integral to the design of the overall scheme, the use of newly manufactured pavers over reclaimed products won out thanks to the ease of installation of the uniformly shaped blocks. In addition, the pavers offer strength and durability required for a development with a lot of footfall and regular vehicle deliveries. Mike McAneny, from BDG, said: “It was important for the external landscaping to work in harmony with the traditional styling of the buildings which line the marina, and we were keen to create a seamless link between those structures, the pathways and the canal below by using a natural material such as clay. The Blue Vintage Brindled paver provided the traditional aesthetic we were looking for, along with the essential performance credentials necessary for an area which would be subject to heavy pedestrian traffic. The result is an attractive, popular scheme which creates fond memories of times gone by, through the use of materials which emulate heritage products while encapsulating modern performance characteristics.”