10 April 2023 , 13:17
1505
0
A huge family adventure playground that cost £3.6million to build has now opened to the public.
'The Lost Garden' adventure play area at the iconic Blenheim Palace features unique wooden structures, interactive water features, play trails and winding walkways.
It sits within the Walled Garden of the Oxfordshire pile and has loads of features for kids of all ages to enjoy.
They include a big viewing platform that is perfect for adults to relax in while keeping an eye on their little ones as they barrel across the apparatus.
At the centre of the new attraction is a replica of Vanbrugh’s Grand Bridge and a big water play feature which will come into its own in the warmer spring months.
Mum snaps up four-night Butlin's break for just £41 using money-saving tricks
The adventure play park is open nowAn towering Wilderness Play area features aerial walkways, rope bridges, tunnels and triple racing zip lines for the stout of heart.
This area is definitely one for older children and those keen to look out across the amazing ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland.
An interactive sensory garden walk as well as an oversized kitchen garden-inspired secret play area - including giant carrots, sunflowers and plant pots - are ideal for curious children.
Keen to entice more younger visitors to Blenheim and instil them with a love of Britain's great historical properties, the Lost Garden echo various architectural aspects of the Palace.
As well as the Grand Bridge - which was hidden submerged in two lakes for years - they include its boat house and gateways.
It cost £3.6million to buildYoung ones with a love of history and well known British prime ministers may enjoy wandering in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill, who counted Blenheim as his birthplace and ancestral home.
Managing director Heather Carter said: “The Lost Garden is the biggest project Blenheim Palace has undertaken for many years.
"Designed to provide a dramatically enhanced family visitor experience, this is a huge, game changing investment for us – both in terms of cost and business potential.
“Stepping inside the Lost Garden children will feel like they are entering a different world.
"The carefully designed landscape will create different moments within the garden with a diverse collection of playful experiences for the children to discover.
Staycations boom for half term as Brits look to swerve strikes hitting holidays
"The Blenheim Palace visitor experience is primarily an adult-orientated one and we have been looking at ways to expand our appeal to families with younger children for some time now.
Entry costs £7"The Palace is not currently able to welcome additional visitor numbers, but capacity does exist in the Walled Garden, which is already the location of the Marlborough Maze, the butterfly house and several smaller outdoor play features plus the Pizza Café."
The new playpark is open now and costs £7 per person, with under 3s going free.
Tickets, which must be bought in advance, can be booked on the Palace's website.
With the Easter holidays here, having a few fun and cheap activities to fill the days in the back pocket is a wise idea.
Built into the woodlands, National Trust gardens and parks of the UK are some excellent adventure zones that are designed to keep kids enthralled for hours on end.
In recent years the ante has definitely been upped when it comes to the scale and design of these parks.
A particularly good example of this is Lilidorei in The Alnwick Garden, which was designed by the Duchess of Northumberland at a cost of £15million and will open later this year.
The Mirror has compiled ten of the best adventure playparks in the UK if you are looking for some inspiration.