CAP.Co, the adventure play specialist, has unveiled its work with Blenheim Palace to create a giant new outdoor adventure play attraction, as part of a project with the UK landmark.
The new addition will be located within the Walled Gardens area of the grounds, which also includes the Marlborough Hedge Maze, Butterfly House, Lavender Garden, and a Pizza Café. Bespoke wooden structures, interactive water elements, play paths, and meandering walkways will all feature as part of the 5,000-meter site’s design.
There will also be an observation platform, an interactive sensory garden path, and a secret play area inspired by an enormous kitchen garden, complete with giant carrots, sunflowers, and plant pots. A copy of Vanbrugh’s Grand Bridge and a sizable seating terrace with a view of the main water play feature will be located in the centre of the new attraction.
Older kids will enjoy an elevated Wilderness Play area with aerial walkways, rope bridges, tunnels, and triple racing zip lines, which offers expansive views of the Capability Brown-designed parkland. A snack kiosk with outdoor chairs will also be present.
A national treasure
Since 1705, the Dukes of Marlborough have called Blenheim Palace home, and the heritage asset was given the UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1987.
The magnificent Palace, which is encircled by more than 2,000 acres of parkland and stunning formal gardens, is steeped in history, with Sir Winston Churchill, one of Britain’s most well-known leaders, being born at Blenheim Palace. Churchill’s father referred to a view of the estate as the “finest view in England” when seen from a path accessed from the nearby village of Woodstock.
Sustainable play opportunities
Cap.Co’s sustainability efforts for the project aligned perfectly with the goals of Blenheim, which made a five-year pledge to become a net generator of green energy, making significant energy savings by converting to electric cars, LED lighting and insulating roofs. Blenheim has also focused its efforts on renewable energy projects including biomass, solar and hydropower.
“When we say it’s a giant, we mean it,” says a CAP.Co representative. “The attraction will cover a site larger than a football field and celebrate the rich heritage of the 18th-century baroque palace, its surrounding parkland and the natural world.
“Utilising natural materials and built to be as sustainable as possible, it will incorporate a series of exciting new features aimed at different age groups ranging from toddlers to teenagers.”
CAP.Co has also recently worked on a play project at Eureka’s latest museum in Merseyside, UK, creating a unique 30-foot-tall climbing tree for visitors.
