Sheringham Park, Norfolk, was designed by landscape designer Humphry Repton in 1812 and incorporates a landscaped park with fine mature woodlands, three viewing towers, an early 19th century house and a large woodland garden. The park has always been popular, and with thousands of visitors arriving every year, it became necessary to convert the existing farm buildings into a visitors centre. Low water usage was vital, both for environmental reasons and because the park is on the edge of two water company networks, which means there is low mains pressure.

Keith Zealand, manager of Sheringham Park, was keen to conserve as much water as possible and decided to install low-flush ES4 WCs, designed by water conservation specialists Elemental Solutions. AirFlush® waterless urinals were also installed to further reduce water consumption, and a rain harvesting system was put in place, which could be used to flush most of the toilets. Other environmental features used in the Sheringham Park project include sheep’s wool insulation that is non-toxic and renewable and a biomass, woodchip-fired boiler that heats the office and visitor reception spaces and the hot water system.

Keith had some initial concerns, but these soon disappeared after the ES4 WCs were installed. He said, “At first, I was not entirely convinced that the ES4 4.5 litre toilets would use enough water to work effectively, but in fact the pan is designed in such a way that they actually perform more efficiently than standard toilets.” Keith was also pleased with the design and performance of the AirFlush® urinals, particularly the integral fan that eliminates unpleasant odours. The contractors responsible for installing the new facilities were also impressed, and said they would be more than happy to work with both products in future projects.

Client: Keith Zealand, Sheringham Park, Norfolk, Tel: 01263 823778, Email:

Contractors: H Smith & Sons, Tel: 01603 880258, Email:

Supplier: Green Building Store (AirFlush® urinals and ES4 WCs), Tel: 01484 461705, Web: