Attraction Update
www.parkworld-online.com
Popular woodland adventure playground to increase in size
A
popular adventure playground in County Durham will be increasing in size to provide families with more to discover.
Almost as if stepping into Narnia, the trees will
part to reveal the Hidden Forest, set across over an acre of magical woodland, where a secluded playscape is waiting for young adventurers to discover. The Plotters’ Forest, woven within a Christmas
tree plantation at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, is opening access to a new section of woodland to the north with the works scheduled to be completed in time for the summer holidays from Monday 13th July. The extension will reveal a route into The
Hidden Forest, which will feature an informal ground level trail that gently climbs the hillside and a series of play moments that encourage exploration, interaction, movement and discovery along the way. Exciting challenges along the new pathway are
designed to encourage adventure, friendship and bravery. Families will be able to travel along the path and begin their quest by completing a series of play experiences and installations, including a cascade wall which has been designed for all ages to enjoy. Larger installations include a stilt walk and
balance beam for little explorers to practice their physical skills, as well as parallel bars and a double swing with both a toddler and regular swing seat for multi-age use. Claire Jones, head of leisure and tourism at
Raby Castle, Park and Gardens said: “Thousands of families have spent countless hours having fun
in The Plotters’ Forest since it opened in 2022 and the adventure playground has proved to be immensely popular with visitors from near and far. “We hope that revealing a route into The
Hidden Forest will ignite young imaginations as they realise the new playscape was always there, hidden amongst the magic of the trees. The forest setting evokes a sense of wonder and invites children to explore, imagine and connect with nature through play, whilst helping each other through the fun but challenging obstacles on the way. We hope to draw out qualities of kindness and support from little ones, whilst also encouraging bravery in their exploration of a new, hidden world.” Raby Castle, Park and Gardens has enlisted
world-class playground designers
CAP.CO (Creating Adventurous Places Ltd) to design The Hidden Forest, following their work on the original Plotters’ Forest. Simon Egan, project development fella at CAP.
CO said: “It’s been a great experience coming back to Raby and enhancing the playground even further with The Hidden Forest. We’ve focused
on how our play design can instil themes of friendship, bravery and teamwork. “We’ve used natural timber throughout to
create a tactile experience, and a sense of connection with the existing structures that complements the forest’s stunning palette.” The Plotters’ Forest is a place where children
can reap the benefits of outdoor play using a range of interactive games. The playground already features ground-level forest trails, high walkways and towers, outdoor musical instruments, a giant memory game, spinning signposts, treetop tunnels, talking tubes, a slide and Mischief Mirrors to explore. There’s also a dedicated toddler area with mini turrets, climbing equipment, a slide and a chalkboard too. Freddie Egan, head of creative at
CAP.CO,
added: “The Plotters’ Forest was the first time we’d been challenged to design a play space in such dense woodland and working across a steep slope was also unique to us. By utilising the existing site attributes, we created an amazing, naturally sensory, play experience and something which we’re immensely proud of.”
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DARK RIDE EDITION 2026
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