Falling or slipping off the duckboards could often be dangerous, even fatal. The floor of the trench was usually covered by wooden duckboards. Over the side went duckboards, wheelbarrows, and banjo shovels. Prior to this there were only duckboards. There were initially no spectator facilities, with duckboards only put down in November 1911. At this point, the surface changes from tarmac to planked duckboards, until reaching Horringford.