Disclosed is a system for laying a ground protection mat (7). The system includes at least one ground protection mat, each mat having at least one aperture (8). A vehicle or trailer (2) is used for transporting and dispensing the at least one ground protection mat, the vehicle or trailer including a spindle (4) and a linking device configure to link the mat to the spindle via the aperture. A geared winch (6) may be attached to the spindle to assist in rotation of the spindle.
