Designing for wonder and wildness
The finished playground is a series of interwoven zones, each offering a distinct play experience, connected by natural materials and storytelling cues. From clambering towers to sensory trails, every corner encourages exploration.
Clamber Woods is the heart of the site. At its centre stands the Champion Tree tower, a soaring timber structure with living willow growing through it. It is designed to grow and evolve alongside the children who play there. Two multilevel net towers and a dramatic drop slide create vertical excitement, while the base provides social, inclusive swing spaces, including a basket swing and a giant chair swing.
Younger visitors are drawn to the Junior Sylvascope Tree House, inspired by Harewood’s own woodland sylvascope, a one-of-a-kind treehouse structure designed to raise conversations about the importance of sustainable woodland management. The junior sylvascope treehouse has been built with woven larch panels, to mimic the original structure’s woven nature. The junior area also has a double-width slide, and a large gravel play pit including pulley systems, spinners and playful chutes. A wheelchair-accessible bank slide ensures that this space is open to as many users as possible.
For older, more adventurous children, the Adventure zone offers climbing trees, tangled ropes and timber challenges that test courage and coordination.
Meanwhile, the nature investigation area invites quieter discovery. Children can crawl through hollow logs, explore woven willow dens and engage with sensory features like the magnification post, encouraging connection with the natural world.
A thrilling zipwire and a variety of swing types round out the experience.
