Frequently Asked Questions

What does Flights of Fantasy do?

We are specialists at making bespoke outdoor and indoor play equipment that pushes the boundary between fantasy and reality. We focus on high quality wooden creations, making designs for private and commercial clients. If you can dream it, we can build it, and this video shows how we bring an idea to life.

Where do you deliver and install to?

We can deliver, ship, and install products worldwide, having previously worked across Europe, Asia, North America, and The Middle East. As our workshops are based in Norfolk, most of our work occurs in the UK, but when working internationally we will make play apparatus at our workshop, then arrange shipping. Where necessary, we can send a team of skilled craftsmen to complete the installation, although we have also sent some standalone pieces without an installation team when appropriate. Please contact us for specific information on delivering to your country.

Do you have stock or pre-owned products for sale?

We are a bespoke play equipment company, so there is no such thing as a stock product for us. However, we do sometimes resell pre-owned products on behalf of our customers. Visit our for sale section to check for current sale items.

How much do your products cost?

Everything we make is bespoke, but guideline prices can be viewed on our pricing page. We pride ourselves on creating unique products, and we can make just about anything, thus for custom creations we would suggest that you contact us for a cost estimate or quote. We’ll be happy to help.

How long will it take to construct and deliver my play equipment?

This depends entirely on what you’d like us to make and where you are in the world – however, if you’re working to a specific deadline then we would strongly suggest contacting us early on so that we can make proper time for your project as we often book our projects many months in advance. Just like our products though, we’re very flexible, and with our hard-working team of craftsmen at our disposal, we can meet your deadline.

Can you really make anything?

Yes, we can design and make just about anything you can think up. We focus on wooden play apparatus and we will only make something that is safe for children to play on, however making creative, unique, and unusual creations is our speciality and we take great pride in doing so. No idea is too grand and no detail is too much to ask. We offer a completely bespoke service, so challenge us – we want you to. Let your fantasy become a reality!

What do clients and visitors think of your creations?

Occasionally we share client testimonials on our testimonials page, but one of the best resources to see what people think of our play areas is to use TripAdvisor. Look up any site where we have made a public play area on Trip Advisor, then head to the reviews section and search for ‘play’ or ‘play area’. There are literally hundreds of glowing reviews (most of which we haven’t even had time to read) and we are very proud of what they say.

I have an idea for a play area, but I don’t know if it’s possible – can you help?

Absolutely! We pride ourselves on making the impossible, possible. No matter whether it’s a fully functioning house in a tree or a wheelchair friendly pirate ship fit for a playground, we love creative challenges that push the limits of design and construction. Get in touch with us to let us know about your ideas and we will find a tangible solution. If you are short on inspiration, take a look at our photo gallery to see some of our past creations.

Do you make wooden outdoor play areas?

If we had to choose one specific product range that defines our company, it would be our wooden outdoor play areas. Each one is a completely unique creation with diverse elements of play potential. You can see examples of our wooden outdoor play areas here.

Do you make wooden indoor play areas?

Yes. In fact, we can make play areas in any available space and have even made rooftop play areas for organisations who didn’t have enough space for a play area indoors or outdoors. See our wooden indoor play areas here.

Do you make plastic and metal play areas?

No. We believe in natural playgrounds made from wood. Wooden play areas look better than metal or plastic play areas and they are much kinder to the environment. We will use certain plastic and metal elements where necessary, but these will only be for small parts of our play areas such as a wheelchair accessible swing or a roundabout.

Do you make school playground apparatus?

Yes, we have worked with many schools over the years and will continue to work with schools to encourage children to enjoy their place of education. We often make themed school playground apparatus that is instantly memorable, making a local icon that all local parents will be aware of. You can find out more about our school playground equipment here.

Do you make wheelchair friendly play apparatus?

Yes. Using a combination of ground level play apparatus and wheelchair specific equipment alterations, we can make inclusive playground equipment that is accessible and usable to individuals in wheelchairs. Find out more about our wheelchair accessible play areas here.

Do you make inclusive play areas that are accessible for less physically able individuals?

Yes. We can incorporate many different elements of accessible play into a play area including softly graded access ramps, dual handrails, safety netting, and more depending upon your needs. Find out more about our accessible and inclusive play areas here.

What materials do you use for your wooden playground equipment?

We mostly use FSC (or equivalent) UK grown oak and sweet chestnut.

Why do you use oak and sweet chestnut?

Both oak and sweet chestnut are durable timbers, meaning that they have a life expectancy of 15-25 years without the use of harmful treatments. This means our play areas will be around for a long time without causing any damage to the environment – even decades after installation, untreated oak and sweet chestnut can be disposed of without concern. Both timbers are also available from FSC certified (or equivalent) sources in the UK, meaning that we have an ongoing supply of responsibly sourced timber from local sources, further reducing our impact upon the environment.

What is timber durability?

The durability of a timber is concerned with the life expectancy of a timber’s heartwood when left in an exposed environment. This indicates how resilient a timber is to decay and infestation by insects. Durable timber, such as oak and sweet chestnut, can be expected to last a lot longer than other less durable timber. Find out more about timber durability here.

Are you an environmentally friendly company?

We pride ourselves on our environmental responsibility. It’s why we use untreated British timbers from sustainable sources and endeavour to reuse all waste products. You can find out more about our environmental credentials here.

Do you supply UK oak and sweet chestnut?

Yes, we have opened our own sawmill under the name Quercast Sawmilling, a specialist oak supplier and hardwood sawmill based in Norfolk. We opened Quercast because of our need for an ongoing, reliable source of UK grown hardwood and now supply sawn oak and sweet chestnut to the UK market. You can find out more about our oak supply here and visit Quercast for all your hardwood timber needs.

How and when did Flights of Fantasy start?

The birth of the Flights of Fantasy idea was at the end of the 80s when Founder, Russell Bowlby, had his first son. He built a two story Tudor themed cottage that lived in the family garden for around two decades before being sold. During this time Russell transitioned from the restoration of listed buildings into full time wooden play equipment design and production. Read more about the origins of Flights of Fantasy here.

Where can I see your play areas in real life?

We made an online map of our public play areas which you can see here. It features play environments we made that are accessible to the public, thus excludes school playgrounds, private installations, and other such non-accessible play areas. This map is constantly being updated as we create more public play areas, so keep checking back to see if we complete an installation near you.

How do I get in contact with Flights of Fantasy?

You contact us via phone on 01485544114, emailing us at info@flightsoffantasy.co.uk, or by submitting our contact form here.

Do you have any career / job opportunities?

We are always looking for talented carpenters and hardworking labourers looking to build worthwhile careers. Both positions require CSCS certification. Occasionally we are also looking to fill other select positions. You can find out more and apply for our available roles here.

Do you have a brochure you can send me?

Due to the negative environmental impact of physical brochures, we no longer distribute printed brochures. However, you can view our digital brochure online or download it to read later.

How does the design process work?

Everything starts with that first point of contact. Once you have made contact with us, we will get in touch with you to discuss your requirements covering everything from specification and design ideas to available space and budget. Where appropriate, we will then arrange a site visit to look further into your project before coming up with a design proposal. We can then make final adjustments to the design before commencing a project. Find out more about our design process here and get in touch to kick start your own project.

Do you offer a play area design service?

If you want to build your own play area, we offer a play area design service ranging from artist sketches to computer generated models. However, there are very few companies that have the skills to create our play areas, so we almost always carry out the design and construction of all play areas. Find out more about our play area designs here.

Are your play areas safe?

Safety is of paramount importance to us and we undertake voluntary safety assessments for all of our public play areas. Every play area we make is built to the same high level of safety, and you can be sure that with decades of play area design and construction experience, we will eliminate potential risks in design that most people wouldn’t even think about. Find out more about our commitment to safety here.

Further Questions:

If you have any further question not covered here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via phone or email.

 


How To Order

Number 1

Tell us a little about the project and thoughts you might already have. Russell, our founder and designer, will then be in touch. Often we will visit the area and research the theme comprehensively.

Number 2

You'll receive a drawn plan, written proposal and a fixed price quote for the project, along with any recommendations for design and materials.

Number 3

If you're happy with the proposal then construction begins. We'll send you pictures and updates ready for when we deliver and install.

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