Play at Westonbirt
It’s time for a new era of play at Westonbirt Arboretum! With designs by Earth Wrights, Westonbirt’s two reimagined play zones will offer accessible, open, nature-inspired fun.
Drawing on input from focus groups and fundraisers, the ambition was to create the ultimate natural playground. This vision involved crafting a confidence-boosting, memory-making, problem-solving environment where children can safely identify, evaluate, and take calculated risks. Every element has been designed to nurture children’s relationship with the natural environment through play, blending seamlessly between the equipment and the surrounding, uninterrupted treeline. This provides an enjoyable transition, both mentally and physically, into the arboretum, engaging with children through the universal language of play and encouraging off-path exploration.
Play Zone 1
This play zone, revamping the former Tree Forts and Troll Bridge area (Old Arboretum, just off Main Drive), offers an accessible, nature-inspired play space that blends seamlessly with the environment. Centred around a prominent Oak tree, an elevated boardwalk not only gives children a bit of height in their play but also enhances accessibility. Low-lying tree nets provide opportunities for canopy and sky gazing, while speaking tubes mimic the mycelium root structure of fungi. Climbing routes are formed from felled trees and logs, and intricate carvings offer the chance for discovery. The updated Troll Bridge can also be rediscovered here, with views of the Downs in front and endless trees behind. Perfect for exploration.
Play Zone 2
Located in the Old Arboretum, just off Circular Drive, this new interpretation of the beloved ‘Tree Roots’ offers an accessible, playful tree root network to explore. Nestled beneath an abundant canopy, the zone features large Westonbirt oak logs with balance beams extending like roots and branches into smaller log and rope systems. This design provides a nature-inspired pattern of elevated play for children to chase, challenge, and balance within the surrounding woodland.
Ensuring inclusivity
Play at Westonbirt is all about enabling every child, at every stage of development, to engage in play that challenges, encourages, and stimulates them. From the toddlers learning to grapple with climbing skills to older children engaging in risky play, and children with different abilities working to stretch their limits. It is essential that we give every child the opportunity, and that we enable every child to play together, or alone, with or without parents and carers involved too. The brief was to create a multi-generational inclusive and accessible space that helps every child to reach their potential.
From the earliest stages of planning, inclusivity and accessibility have been integral to the design - never an afterthought. Earth Wrights has designed a space that offers a range of experiences for as diverse a range of children as possible.
By providing ramp access alongside other entry points, we ensure that children of all abilities can enjoy and explore the play zones together. Additionally, we offer a variety of play types, with adventurous, physical activities alongside quieter, more creative ones. This variety caters to different age ranges (including parents and carers), as well as different levels of support needs, assisting with the development of social skills and enhancing imaginative play. Additionally, Earth Wrights has included an observation point onlooking the quiet play space; a crucial feature for those on the autism spectrum. This allows children to observe and acclimatise to the space, facilitating an easier transition and providing a dedicated, calm area where they can more effectively prepare to play.
Thank you
This project is the perfect partnership between the team at Forestry England and The Friends. We are proud to be funding this first phase of play development, and we’re thrilled by the efforts of the arboretum team to ensure this new space will be a great one.
These innovative zones wouldn't be possible without the unwavering support and generosity of The Friends’ members, funders, and donors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.
What next?
While the first two revamped play zones will open in the next couple of months, development of play is not stopping there. The Friends’ team is busy fundraising for play development phases two and three, while the Forestry England team is busy putting together the specification. Together, we’ll shortly unveil plans to revamp the former Exploratree site (by The Shop) with play activities for toddlers and young children, as well as two new zones of play in Silk Wood, enabling visitors with dogs to access the areas too. We’re excited about what these phases will bring, and urge readers to become a member (if you aren’t already) or make a donation, to help bring exciting projects like this to fruition.
‘Play area 1 and 2’ doesn’t have much of a ring to it, does it?
Last week, we took to social media to gather ideas from the public for our new playgrounds. Our dedicated community made over 1,400 submissions in total and after much deliberation, we have managed to create a shortlist. Please cast your vote for the best names below:
