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Talbot View Natural Play - The Castle
Updated 21st October 2015
A cluster of stepped logs just outside the castle wall create a vantage point for both children and carers to sit and observe from.
The majority of the play space is laid down to grass with the mounds and entrances to the gateway stone surfaced in a natural brown coloured safety surface.
The play space has been positioned to minimise disturbance to local residents, blend into the local landscape, avoid ecologically sensitive areas and respect existing desire lines and other open space uses.
Location of ‘The Castle’ on Winston Avenue
Officially opened 20th October 2015
We were approached by some residents from the Talbot View area requesting some natural play features to be installed in the local area. Following a public consultation ‘The Castle’ was chosen and has been installed on the west side of Winston Avenue, as shown in the aerial image below.
‘The Castle’ is a play space that uses natural materials, such as sawn logs and carved stone, to provide a fun experience for 1-9 year olds to develop agility, balance and coordination. Inspired by the theme of an old castle, it encourages imaginative role play which helps to further language and social skills.
Natural materials have been chosen for their robustness, low maintenance and ability to blend into the wider landscape. They have been carefully treated to retain their natural sensory qualities whilst providing safe play for children.
To access the castle, children negotiate a ‘drawbridge’ made of wonky planks and upright log poles; and then crawl through a hole in a gateway stone to reach a circular ‘castle hall’. Here they are welcomed by two big chairs and traces of an ‘old stone floor’. The chairs offer an opportunity to stop, tell stories and reflect.
The castle walls are defined by stepped logs linked by low mounds. Children can challenge themselves to climb, jump and balance along the top of the wall.