Lake and Pond Construction and Restoration Specialists | Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire

R. Matthews Excavations

R.Matthews Excavations is a family-run business with 30 years of experience specialising in heavy plant and machinery for lake and pond construction and restoration. We provide a range of services including pond and lake construction, restoration and maintenance, landscaping, groundworks and civil engineering for private clients principally in Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire but also welcome enquiries from further afield.

Lake and Pond Construction and Restoration

At R.Matthews Excavations we specialise in a wide range of aquatic engineering and landscaping services, including lake and large pond construction, restoration and maintenance. Our skilled team work closely with each client and landscape architects where appointed to develop and create bespoke solutions that work in harmony with the natural environment.

With a passion and expert knowledge of the land and water interface, our agile approach is underpinned by a wealth of project management expertise in this often challenging and highly complex environment.

Surrey - Construction of 1 acre fishery lake

East Sussex - oak revetment

East Sussex - dredging and oak revetment in progress

Surrey - lake dredging and revetment

Berkshire - dredging

Surrey - Nicospan revement installation

West Sussex - waterfall using local stone

Surrey - culvert, inlet and bypass stream

Berkshire - bank revetment

Surrey - lake desilted

Surrey - culvert construction

Sussex - Long reach excavator loading tracked dumper

design & installation

Lake construction with bespoke liners where required
Water storage reservoirs and lagoons
Jetties, pontoons, fishing platforms, bridges and islands
Boardways and walkways
Water control structures including spillways and waterfalls, culverts and header walls

Earthworks and Landscaping Specialists

Located near Billingshurst, R.Matthews Excavations proudly serves the regions of Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. Our experienced team has extensive knowledge of the local terrain and ground conditions with varied projects ranging from golf course enhancements and reedbed filtration systems to sand schools, specialist drainage systems, haulage roads and foundations for agricultural,domestic and commercial buildings.

Sussex - Lagoon

West Sussex - earth bund construction

West Sussex - golf course water feature

West Sussex - golf course water feature 1 year on

West Sussex - Enabling works for industrial unit

West Sussex - Slurry lagoon

Surrey - Dam repair

West Sussex - enabling works and site levelling for agricultural barn

West Sussex - Bulk excavation

Hampshire - concrete slab removal

West Sussex - attenuation pond

about

After dredging his first pond at the age of 16 and being a keen fisherman Ross has always had a strong affinity with the aquatic environment and the special benefits it brings to both people and wildlife. His passion for heavy plant and excavators combined with a love and appreciation of nature has developed into a career spanning over 30 years specialising in bespoke aquatic engineering solutions for the creation, maintenance and restoration of large water features including lakes,
ponds, dams, moats and reservoirs.

Ross and the team work closely with every client to understand their requirements and ambition ensuring each project is approached with sensitivity and a keen eye for detail with the aim to help realise and exceed our clients vision.

Long-reach excavator

East Sussex - oak foot bridge

Hampshire - outlet spillway

Hampshire - stone boulder retainer wall

Our new dumper driver

Surrey - brick built monk with twinwall outlet pipe through dam wall

Surrey - dam reconstruction and new outlet pipes

Surrey - lake dredge

13m long-reach excavator

Surrey - loading and unloading barge

Surrey - loading silt barges using amphibious excavator

Surrey - loading tracked dumper with silt from barges

Surrey - oak boardwalk

Surrey - outlet monk

Surrey - sandstone track construction

West Sussex - Expansion of school swale for watersports activities

Surrey - stone cascading spillway off dam

Surrey - stone outlet

Surrey - waterfall using local stone

Tracked dumper and 13m long-reach excavator on the move

Surrey - waterfall

Long reach excavator and tracked dumper

West Sussex - Slurry lagoon being lined

West Sussex - Lagoon after lining

New lagoon finished

testimonials

"I have used Ross and his team for many different projects over a number of years from pond dredging and bridge construction to field drainage and path/track construction.
He has always been helpful and easy to deal with, finding solutions to problems and doing exactly what we have wanted.
It is clear he takes great pride in his work as the end result is always excellent. I would recommend him without hesitation."

"We have used Ross on numerous occasions over the past few years for works including bulk excavations, site preparation, drainage works and various other excavation projects.
Ross has always done exactly as required, on time and completed with a care and pride in leaving the job finished to the highest of standards.
His machine driving ability is up there with as good as you will get and it is always a pleasure having him on site.”

"We have a 75-year-old manmade lake which needed extensive renovation.
I have no hesitation in recommending R Matthews Excavations' who completed the work on time and to agreed budget."

It has been a pleasure working with Ross and the team, creating 6 wildlife ponds. Efficient with his time, professional on site and showed a real interest by contributing to the design and working with ecological sensitivity at the forefront of this project.

I engaged Ross at the start of the year to dig a stock pond for my fish farm and was very happy with the end result. He has since been back and completed a 1 acre pond and an access track. He is very professional, great communication and a highly competent machine operator. He's suggested some great ideas about blending the excavations into the surrounding area and is very skilled at tapering and grading the mounds in. His knowledge extends beyond just excavations, alway conscious of surrounding trees and planting etc, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.