Gritting and snow clearance in Horley

We’re based in RH6, so an icy path in Horley is only ever a few minutes from us.

Gritting in Horley is about as local as work gets for us. We’re based in the town, and when a hard frost or snow is forecast we’re out on foot, clearing and salting front paths, driveways, steps and entrances by hand. It’s for homes and businesses too, such as a block’s communal path or a care home entrance.

A lot of Horley is up and out early. Around a third of the town works at Gatwick or in Crawley, and airport work doesn’t keep office hours. A front path is at its worst first thing, so we’d much rather salt it the evening before than arrive after someone has already gone over on the step.

Why flat clay paths in Horley turn to glass

Horley sits on the Weald, on heavy clay that sheds rain instead of soaking it up. On level ground that means water lies on paving and at the bottom of drives long after a shower, and one clear night turns it into a thin glaze you can barely see. Near the Mole and the Burstow Stream it’s worse again. Salt put down while that water is still liquid stops it setting. Salt on ice that has already formed barely works. That’s why we watch the forecast rather than the window.

Gritting in Horley’s new estates and blocks of flats

Westvale Park and The Acres have added more than two thousand homes between them, and newer estates like these often come with shared paths, bin store walkways and shared parking courts. Nobody quite owns those paths, so in a cold snap nobody quite clears them. Managing agents and residents’ groups can agree a list with us before winter: which entrances, which steps, which route to the bins. When frost or snow is forecast we turn up, do the lot by hand and send word once it’s finished.

Gritting in Horley: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

We both leave for early shifts. When would our path be done?

If your paths are on our winter list, we aim to grit the evening before a forecast frost, so the salt is already working when you open the door. After overnight snow we clear it as early as we can and salt what’s underneath. Either way, we’ll message you when it’s done.

Our path floods most winters. Is gritting still worth it?

Yes, but timing matters more on wet clay. Standing water freezes into a glaze that’s very hard to spot, so we salt as the water drains back and before the temperature drops.

Will salt damage the hedge along our front path?

It can if salty snow ends up heaped against the roots. Privet is a common front hedge in the older parts of Horley, so we keep salt on the paving and pile cleared snow away from the base. Too much shows up as brown edges in spring.