Salcey Forest play area closed for four weeks as Northamptonshire park undergoes redevelopment
The refurbishment promises a larger play area and visitor centre
A play area at a popular Northamptonshire park will be shut for around four weeks as redevelopment takes place.
Salcey Forest’s play area closed on Monday (January 9) for works that promise a new, larger play area and visitor centre, and new features.
According to Forestry England, £60,000 has been invested in new play equipment to replace some of the older pieces. The organisation is also in conversation with Go Ape about adding junior zip wires and high lines to an area of the forest.
The contractor in charge of the play area refurbishment expects the attraction to be closed for around four weeks.
A statement from Forestry England, posted on the Salcey Forest Facebook page said: “Our play area is being redeveloped by our contractor, Green Play Project.
“Their works include a brand new, larger play area in the visitor centre and also some exciting new features added to the popular play huts.
“This means the play area will be closed for these works from Monday January 9 for approximately four weeks.”
This comes just months after it was announced that Salcey’s popular Tree Top Walkway would not reopen as the cost to repair was “in the region of £1.7 million”.
At statement on the Salcey Forest website added: “This figure [to repair the Tree Top Walkway] vastly exceeds the funding available to us, and even if we could spend that amount of money at Salcey Forest (or other forests in the area) we believe we could invest in better ways for visitors long-term than focusing on the walkway.
“Instead, we are using the opportunity to redevelop the part of the forest where the Tree Top Walkway stood as part of a £240,000 investment into the site, to create a new visitor space called The Glade.”
As part of The Glade, Forestry England says they will plant new trees, shrubs and a wildflower area, create a new winding, all-ability path with seating, install a covered activity space and restore Elephant Bridge by using green oak from the forest.
The organisation is also working with Go Ape in the hope to bring a Tree Top Junior course to Salcey Forest.