A Rustic Play Area For A Natural Setting
Abberton Reservoir is a visitor centre and nature reserve managed by Essex Wildlife Trust where we built a rustic, outdoor wooden play area, children’s information centre, a themed sculpture trail, a sand martin bank, and several bird hides. The play area includes various log and tangle climbs, a multi play tower with a slide pole and climb wall, a bird nest feature with climbing ladder, a rope V-bridge, a zip line, and multiple sculptures.
Sculptures to Engage and Excite
We incorporated several wooden sculptures and carvings into the play area to heighten engagement from children.
Some carvings, such as the insects and snake, are big and easy to see, whilst others are hidden away as a special surprise for children who look carefully around the play area. The bat carving, pictured, is one such secret find that is not immediately obvious.
Please take a look at our other wooden carvings and sculptures to get some more ideas of what could be incorporated into your play area.
The Grand Opening
We were delighted to be in attendance of the play areas grand opening and see the delight of children playing on the new play area.
Other Creations at Abberton Reservoir
Other creations we have made at Abberton Reservoir include three large bird hides, two small bird hides, a sand martin bank, a children’s visitor centre, and a Brambly Hedge themed sculpture trail. Many of these products were made under the name of our sister company, The Wild Deck Company, and our ongoing work with Abberton Reservoir reflects the quality of our work. The images below link to our other site to show you more information about each creation.
From Concept to Reality
Visitor Feedback
The following comments are taken from public TripAdvisor reviews:
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‘the children love the play area’ Kim S
- ‘An imaginative and cleverly thought out natural play area with a zip wire and a birds nest! ‘ Choppette2000
- ‘Just outside the visitors area is probably one of the most imagination play area’s I’ve seen for a long time, all using natural materials and built so that kids can use their imaginations.’ mrsbsouthend
- ‘the play area was excellent and the children really enjoyed it’ victoria s
- ‘lovely unique play area for children’ Traveller51_11
- ‘It is worth a visit just for the play area, I’ve never seen anything like it. It has a tunnel, zip line a climbing frame tree house, rope bridge, climbing frame made out of branches and a fantastic birds nest you can climb up into, plus stepping stones etc. The only problem is trying to get the children out of there so you can do the walks, so I would recommend having lots of time to spend there.’ Debbie P
- ‘Lovely childrens play area’ John P
Making Your Perfect Play Area
Use this play area as inspiration for your own project, but don’t be afraid to push the boundaries in whatever way you want. Add extra features, incorporate interesting themes, and do whatever else you can think of to challenge us to make you the best adventure play area possible. Please get in touch with us to discuss your idea and we will walk you through the design process.
You can also take a look at our other outdoor play areas for further inspiration and visit The Wild Deck Company, our sister company that specialises in producing pond dipping platforms, bird hides, and boardwalks, to get some more ideas.
For pricing information, please refer to our pricing page or get in contact with us to make an enquiry and discuss a potential project.
