Welcome to the world's largest playground
The new plastic-free playground at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland provides a perfect excuse to visit England’s most northern county, says Girl About Ambassador Beth Wardell
This is a feature from Issue 17 of Charitable Traveller.
In the heart of Northumberland, something magical is happening. A fantasy home of fairies, elves and hobgoblins – otherwise known as the world’s largest play structure – has opened, 12 years after it was initially dreamt up, and I’m not the only one who’s loving the escapism it provides.
In England’s most northern county, you’ll find the quaint market town of Alnwick. Finding fame in the early 2000s after Alnwick Castle was used as the setting for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the first two Harry Potter films, this small town welcomes tourists from around the world. And now, visitors have another reason to descend on this corner of the north east… Lilidorei.
Lilidorei at The Alnwick Garden is home to Elfwin Drin, Lord Elfwin’s grand castle – an enchanted playground of huge slides, zip lines and climbing walls spread across 10 towers. Standing at an impressive 24m tall (six metres taller than the Angel of the North and the same height as an eight-storey building), the structure has been imaginatively designed to include six slides, a fireman’s pole, swings, tunnels
and suspended cages. In keeping with its woodland surroundings, it’s all made from larch wood with not a piece of plastic in sight. So
much more than just a playground for children, adults are also encouraged to explore and whizz down the super fast slides too.
There are nine clans who reside at Lilidorei and as I wander round the village with its small earthy wooden houses, I feel like I’m
in a fairy tale where the outside world doesn’t matter. The clan houses are brought to life with immersive lighting, a state of the art soundscape experience and interactive storytelling. Visitors are invited to look through the windows of each house to see how the clan members live. From friendly fairies to fiendish goblins, your imagination will know no bounds as you find yourself enchanted, spooked and captivated as you wander through the woodland. Which, by the way, is made up entirely of Christmas trees and includes a golden speckled floor, which will look completely magical in the winter months when all the lights are on.
Making it accessible
Lilidorei is the creative vision of Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, whose family have lived in Alnwick Castle for over 700 years. She hopes it willencourage little ones’ imagination to run wild with endless screen-free play and provide the ultimate escape from 21st century life.
“Lilidorei has lived in my imagination for the past 12 years and I am delighted to bring my creative vision to life,” said the Duchess.
“We want to encourage children away from screens and into this magical giant playground where their imaginations can run wild.
Our ambition is for Lilidorei to be accessible to all children regardless of their background, which is why we have committed to Free Fridays, ensuring that every schoolchild in Northumberland and the surrounding areas has the chance to visit the attraction for free during their primary years’ education.” Tomas Lau Knudsen, the lead designer at Monstrum, the Danish design and architect firm who built the park, said, “At Lilidorei you should simply expect to see something magical that would blow your mind and that is out of this world, taller and bigger than anything you have ever experienced before.”
Behind the immersive experience of magical storytelling and imagination that’s built into all the action-packed adventure, there is
a dedicated charity that works to support those that need it most. Lilidorei is operated by The Alnwick Garden Trust – an independent charity funded by admissions from both Lilidorei and The Alnwick Garden – that works to support those in the local community who need it most.
Lilidorei is well worth making a trip for, and if you’re travelling from further afield, I recommend staying at Fenton Hill Farm cottages, in the nearby village of Wooler. To get a real taste of Northumbria you’ll want to explore the area as much as possible and these cottages, situated near the Cheviot Hills, make a comfy base with breath-taking views, for doing just that.
We asked Beth to write her perfect itinerary for 48 hours in her hometown of Northumberland for Issue 9 of Charitable Traveller Magazine. Click the link below to find out more.
Girl About Travel is a unique online platform created by travel industry experts – a journalist and tourism marketing and comms specialist – and provides content for women who want to make amazing memories with their loved ones, either in the UK or overseas. A trusted partner of Charitable Travel, Girl About Travel’s content is created by a network of writers, aka the Girl About Blog Squad – the official Girl Abouts in their cities and counties.
This is a feature from Issue 17 of Charitable Traveller.
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