Belvoir Castle set to open new £350K adventure playground

The feature, which features a spectacular wooden ship at its entrance, has been built on the undulating parkland at the foot of the grade one listed castle.

The design of the playground, which has been overseen by Lady Alice Manners has been inspired by the castle itself and the stories of its inhabitants.

Opening to the public on Saturday October 15, the playground will be part of a host of Hallowe’en events at the historic site and its retail village, The Engine Yard.

Lady Alice said: “I am extremely proud of the new adventure playground, a project that I have been spearheading since 2019.

"We wanted to create a place for families to come to together, to enjoy together and to be in nature together.

“The whole ethos of this playground is inclusivity - everything is built so that parents and grandparents can join their children in the play.

"We have worked around the natural topography of the woodland to create a non-invasive structure which we hope will feed everyone’s imaginations and my hope is that many happy memories are made by families at this wonderful adventure playground.”

Perched atop the embankment, the impressive ship is the first structure visitors come across when entering the playground and it will be the stage set for the imaginations of many 21st century ‘captains’ who can dream up their own adventures on the ocean wave.

“I wanted to create a playground that represented my father’s tenure of Belvoir,” said Lady Alice.

"The ship is inspired by Resolution, my father’s book which is about my ancestor Lord Robert, who captained the ship in the 18th century.”

The vessel structure can be accessed from both lower and the higher routes of the playground – either by steps into the hold or a gantry directly onto the top deck, which is accessible to all and features a thrilling zip wire for those who dare to fly through the trees at speed.

The lower deck features crawl spaces for exploring the enclosed hold of the ship, with portholes to peer out of into the forested area of the playground, and perfect for family photo opportunities.

The design and build of the playground is supported by the RDPE SCHEME: Growth Programme, which supports investments in the creation and development of non-agricultural activities.

It is part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The nearby Engine Yard shopping village is nearby at the end of playtime on the adventure playground, with a range of gift and food shops to peruse as well as food and drink, wood-fired pizzas and handmade burgers, all cooked to order.

Entry to the adventure playground will be included in all garden tickets with passes available for regular visitors.

Annual passes are available to buy which give unlimited entry to the playground and free parking on the first visit.

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

Click HERE for more information about the playground and its entry tickets.