Established 1987 · The Thornbury Coast

Bespoke Sandcastle Restoration

Heritage moat engineering, turret stabilisation and tide-resistant sealing for the discerning coastal property owner. The average sandcastle lasts an afternoon. Ours are guaranteed for eleven days.

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Established: 1987
Structures restored: 2,400+
Tide-season guarantee: Full
Fully insured: Yes

About the firm

Four decades of work that lasts an afternoon

Thornbury & Vale was founded in 1987 by two civil engineers who had spent twenty years building bridges and wanted, just once, to make something the sea would take back by teatime. What began as a single commission on the beach at Thornbury-on-Sea has become the coast’s most established name in structural sand work.

We survey every site before we quote. We cut to depth, we buttress the corners, and we seal against the tide. And when the sea takes it back — because the sea always takes it back — we photograph, record, and file the drawings so the next one can be better.

Every member of our team is fully insured and holds current certification in substrate assessment. We handle conservation-area consents in house.

Arrange a site survey

A restored sandcastle at dusk on the Thornbury coast, its towers lit against a darkening sea.

The 1987 original at Harbourmaster’s Walk, resurveyed in 2025.

What we do

Services

Every commission begins with a site survey and a written quotation. Prices shown are indicative and assume reasonable substrate conditions.

Structural Moat Engineering
Load-bearing moats cut to survey, with graded drainage that holds its profile through a full tide cycle.
- Site survey and substrate moisture assessment
- Graded channel excavation to 40cm working depth
- Reinforced inner bank with buttressed corners
- Drainage calibration against local tide tables
- Post-installation settlement check at 24 hours
$450starting price
Turret Stabilisation & Restoration
Sympathetic repair of slumped, cracked or wind-scoured turrets, matched to the original pail profile.
- Core sampling to identify the failure plane
- Internal armature placement where height exceeds 30cm
- Crenellation recutting to the original pattern
- Colour-matched surface dressing
- Optional banner and flagstaff reinstatement
$280starting price
Tide-Resistant Sealing
Our proprietary three-coat seal extends structural life from a single afternoon to a documented eleven days.
- Surface consolidation and dust removal
- Three-coat marine-grade seal application
- Windward face reinforcement
- Salt-crystallisation barrier at the base course
- Written eleven-day performance guarantee
$195starting price
Heritage Conservation
Documentation and conservation of structures of recognised cultural significance, to full archival standard.
- Photographic and measured survey before any intervention
- Minimal-intervention consolidation using period methods
- Reversible repairs only, fully documented
- Conservation-area consent handled on your behalf
- Archival record lodged with the parish
Emergency Wave Response
Rapid stabilisation when an unscheduled wave, loose dog or careless bystander threatens a structure mid-build.
- Ninety-minute response within the core service area
- Temporary breakwater and sacrificial bank placement
- Emergency shoring for compromised towers
- Salvage and recording of displaced material
- Same-day written condition report
$320starting price

Where we work

Service Areas

We cover five parishes along the Thornbury coast from our workshop at Harbourmaster’s Walk. Sites outside this range are considered case by case — do ask.

All survey appointments are scheduled against the published tide tables. We will confirm a window when you book.

Thornbury-on-Sea
Head office and workshop. Same-day survey available.
Vale Harbour
Full service coverage, including deep-moat excavation.
Pebblewick
Specialist shingle-substrate work a house speciality.
Saltmarsh Bay
Conservation-area consents handled in house.
Grindle Cove
Access by causeway. Survey subject to tide tables.
Outside these parishes?Send us the detailsand we will tell you honestly whether the journey is worth it.