how was this made, what type of wood/gravel?

[CalvinHobbes]

Sorry for picture quality, I think i took it in a national trust visit but it struck me as a possibly cheap way to do the initial pathway around the house. We need a digger to move some top soil and dig a trench for the sewer but I was thinking coould it level off a path? and I presume i dig in this plank and then put gravel? Anything else? Would it work on a slope? I might use it too for a temporary patio.

Oh other matter builder wants to do a manhole otside front door (its in the middle) and re BT there will be 2" ducting to take it into the house. Can it go to the manhole or straight into the house?

[Crofter]

Hard to tell from the pictures but it could be something like sarking boards with 20mm chips. You'd want a membrane underneath to prevent weeds from growing through. And ideally you'd be laying the whole lot over a good firm surface, like type 1.

You can bed the boards in to type 1, packed down in little trenches. 

[Gone West]

7 hours ago, CalvinHobbes said:

I think i took it in a national trust visit but it struck me as a possibly cheap way to do the initial pathway around the house

A lot of NT pathways are made of hoggin. Easy to use and if it sinks a bit you can just top it up.