Challenge

Bedgrove Park is a natural play space worth £100,000 that is situated on open green space with existing mounds next to a leisure centre and a primary school, it sits at the heart of the local community.

The client wanted to utilise the existing landform and keep the design of the playground as natural as possible.

The design was developed between Aylesbury Vale District Council, the local community and Timberplay.

As sand, water and bark could not be used due to maintenance concerns, Timberplay looked at the other possibilities that remained for creating a natural play space with a friendly atmosphere.

Solution

A number of natural features were used in the design including landform, timber equipment, logs, natural tree trunks, boulders, undulating paths, grass and diverse planting into the design.

Grass mats were used as a safety surface solution to keep the space as green as possible and self binding gravel was used for the pathways to keep a natural feel. The imported tree trunks were set into mounds to give the appearance that they feel there, creating both a play feature and natural seating areas.

The play area includes a duck pond area relating to the famous local Aylesbury Duck with a sunken area specifically designed for younger children accommodating play islands, housing, a little playhouse, timber animals and a climbing combination. Reached via stepping stones or a suspension bridge, the islands create an opportunity for imaginative and adventurous play.

For older children, high-energy equipment including a variety of swings, the unusual wobbly balancing timbers that form the jackstraw-seesaw, a ropeway and a rotating platform were installed.

Interactive sensory sound equipment from the Timberplay Graubner range can also be found in the form of a sound roller and windpipes, which add a joyful dimension to the playground.