Creating Adventurous Places (CAP.Co), the adventure play specialist, is celebrating the opening of The Adventure Play at Windsor Great Park, which is part of the UK’s Windsor Estate. The new attraction opened in July 2023 and is located next to The Savill Garden.
The firm began work on this project in 2018 and says it is its most ambitious project to date. Visitors can enjoy two acres of play, featuring hand-crafted walkways, slides, sculptures and treehouses, interlinked and weaving around the established woodland of Windsor Great Park.
The Savill Garden, an enclosed area of Windsor Great Park, is home to spectacular seasonal displays and unusual flora, set over 35 acres of grounds. It was designed by Eric Savill in the 1930s and then a Visitor Centre was added to the Garden in 2006. With its sinuous roof structure and green facade, this gave the garden a new dimension. This is the backdrop that CAP.Co was working with as it developed the new Adventure Play.
Celebrating the local woodland
The company was tasked with creating a quintessentially Windsor turnkey attraction.
The wider Windsor Estate spans over 6,400 hectares (15,800 acres) of undulating terrain and rolling hills. It is home to a large portion of the nation’s oldest ancient forests, which are dotted with enormous solitary ancient oak trees. The size of this woodland and the significance of the oak trees found there served as the basis for the entire design concept.
CAP.Co also wanted to highlight the strength and quality of the timber as a building material and use it in the construction of the Adventure Play, in addition to celebrating the flora and fauna of Windsor’s amazing woods.
The majority of the wood used in the construction was sourced from downed trees on the larger Estate and was seasoned over a period of years. To make sure CAP.Co minimised the amount of timber that needed to be sourced from outside the Estate, the team had to carefully plan the quantities of nearly all of the components needed.
The firm also utilised the knowledge and expertise of Windsor thatchers to construct the roofs of several of the treehouses and play structures, which added another degree of local craftsmanship. The giant conkers, conker roof, and sculptures of owls, squirrels, badgers, mice, and red deer hidden around the play areas were made by the CAP.Co team and other local sculptors.
The Woodland and the Courtyard
The new Adventure Play at Windsor Great Park has two key areas. The Woodland was created for older children (and adults), while the Courtyard is tailored for younger visitors.
The Courtyard is a magical location for kids, where families can spend time together playing, learning and exploring. The area is a doorway to the woods and treetop walks beyond and was designed as a miniature world of play amid the native flora and animals. The play area is separated into a variety of interconnected zones with a mixture of playhouses and walkways of varied heights and challenges, with undulating soft landscaping and natural paths between. It was created to help kids discover their own comfort level with danger and the joy that comes from natural play.
Additionally, there are a number of beautifully crafted buildings housing neighbourhood stores featuring handcrafted wooden tills, surrounded by roly-poly slopes, climbs, ladders, and slides. Guests can also climb in and out of huge acorns and use a pump to trigger a controlled waterfall over the sandstone rockery.
Meanwhile, the Woodland is located among the beautiful mixed woods to the north and is designed for older or more daring kids (and grown-ups). The treehouses are connected by a network of play structures and pathways and soar high into the trees.
Three levels of play wind in and out of the enormous mature trees and are interconnected by long rope bridges, wobbly walkways, and a large netted area on one of the connecting decks. Four huge slides, one of which is a unique roller slide, descend from the tops of the structures.
There are hidden play features like tunnels, puzzles, and other experiences to find inside the towers. Plus, a seasonal interactive projection of the plants, animals, and other creatures that inhabit the forest floor responds to visitors’ actions as they move through the space.
Accessibility is key
Accessibility was a top priority right from the start. Part of the brief included developing play areas where visitors who have mobility issues could play with those who don’t. An accessible ramp serves as the initial point of access from the entrance, establishing the tone for the delivery of fully accessible play.
CAP.Co also designed a Companion slide on the edge of the Woodland where wheelchair users can slide down with their companion. A side bar at the bottom of the slide enables safe and easy access back into a wheelchair.
In addition, there is an accessible trail that enables visitors to travel high in the tree canopy while enjoying the wheelchair rope bridge, enormous hammock nets and sensory components along the route, as well as the flora and fauna that live among the trees.
Earlier this year, CAP.Co worked with Fairytale Farm in Oxfordshire, UK, to create Fairy Dell, a new play development for the inclusive visitor attraction.
