Thrilling adventure playground set to open at Belvoir Castle

And it’s fair to say they absolutely loved it.

The Melton Times was given a tour of the structure, which features a duplicate of the nearby castle, a ship, a giant tube slide and a thrilling zip wire, among other features.

Pupils from three local schools enjoyed themselves on the sprawling playground, with the general public welcomed in for the first time tomorrow from 11am.

The site, which is the result of the vision of Lady Alice Manners, the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, is opening at the perfect time with Leicestershire children on half-term next week.

Lady Alice said: “For me, it was very important to build a playground which fits seamlessly into the castle grounds and looks like it’s always been there.

“Environmentally we wanted to ensure that it was built from natural materials.

"We’ve not taken away from the landscape of the area, we have only added to it.

"We have worked around all the existing trees, constructing as much of the playground as we could out of sustainable wood.

"You really feel like you’re in the heart of the forest – it’s lovely and natural.

“I loved spending time outdoors in nature as a child, and my wish is that families get to enjoy special time together in the playground and make special memories.”

The striking ship is based on HMS Resolution, which was captained with distinction by Belvoir descendant, Lord Robert, and which was the subject written by the present Duke of Rutland in 2017.

Children get the chance to explore this ship’s lower decks and crawl spaces, stare out to sea through the portholes and leaving the vessel by walking the plank via a zip wire.

“With Belvoir, one thread was never going to tell our whole story, but I wanted to bring in parts of my father, The Duke, and his tenure, as an homage to him,” said Lady Alice.

“One of his great loves is Belvoir’s naval history, so this was the ideal place to start.”

The duplicate structure of Belvoir Castle mirrors the iconic circular turret of the castle, with seemingly endless levels and a myriad of hidden rooms and winding hallways, taking visitors higher and higher above the forest floor.

From the top of the tower there are views through the wood and a giant tube slide to whizz each child back to earth.

A wooden replica of the Duke of Rutland’s 1908 Renault, which he has lovingly restored and raced over the years, is bound to be an attraction in the toddler’s area of the playground.

Playground only tickets will also be available priced at £4 per child, £3 per adult or £12 for a family (two adults and three children).

Castle, garden and playground tickets are being sold while annual can be bought for unlimited entry to the playground and free parking on the first visit.

The pass costs £150 for the whole year, admitting a family of five.