New all-weather adventure playground that mums call a ‘child’s dream’ – with indoor castle and pedal go-kart track
Date: 2024-10-29A NEWLY-OPENED adventure playground has been described as a ‘child’s dream’ by visitors thanks to its huge play structures.
Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn has been a hit with families since it opened to the public in March.
Set on the Chillington Estate, just outside of Brewood in Staffordshire, the attraction was built to offer a space for both children and adults.
After realising there was nowhere to go for both kids and adults, Tessa and Charlie Giffard decided to create the new attraction.
Housed inside a former agricultural barn, the adventure playground features a huge fake oak tree inspired by one King Charles II used to hide during the Battle of Worcester in 1651.
A central indoor turret inside the barn lets kids explore bridges, high-level walkways, tunnels, slides and ropes.
There’s also an outdoor area with zip lines, swings, slides and a designated area for toddlers.
Children and tweens can live out their Formula One dreams on a pedal go-kart track.
The track starts outside before heading indoors, with kids following a winding tarmac track.
There are also indoor and outdoor dining facilities, serving snacks such as cakes and ice cream as well as hot food such as sourdough pizzas and sandwiches.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) sessions run on the first Thursday of the month when the adventure playground is quieter.
Other themed events also run throughout the year, including Halloween activities like face painting, a treasure hunt and craft sessions.
Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn will also be transformed into a winter wonderland on selected dates in November and December.
Younger visitors will meet Father Christmas and his elves inside a specially-created grotto.
Kids will be given a gift from the big man himself, a deluxe hot chocolate, a seasonal biscuit and a Christmas craft activity.
Tessa Giffard, custodian of Chillington Hall and Estate, said: “We’re so excited to welcome Father Christmas to Hockerhill for the very first time this year.
“Families can share a wonderful experience and create unforgettable memories whilst enjoying two hours of play in our festive wonderland.”
Despite only being open since March, families have raved about the Staffordshire-based attraction on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: “We had a superb morning at Hockerhill Playbarn.
“The kids loved the go-karts and the zip wire, it’s a child’s dream, with swings, slides, towers, bridges, walkways, zip lines and tunnels.”
Another person added: “This place is brilliant”.
A third person wrote: “This is without a doubt the best playbarn we have ever visited.
“We have three children of different ages and it is usually impossible to find somewhere that ALL the children enjoy, until we visited Hockerhill.”
Entry to Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn costs £8 for a full-paying adult, with tickets for kids starting from £5.
Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn is a 30-minute drive from Birmingham, and it’s a 25-minute drive from Stafford.
Two hugely popular adventure playgrounds to visit in the UK
HERE are two other adventure playgrounds families can visit in the UK.
Bewilderwood
BeWILDerwood first opened in 2007 in Norfolk, followed by a second park in 2021 in Cheshire. The sprawling play parks are based on a series of fantasy books by author Tom Blofeld.
Within the technology-free attraction, families will find slides, storytelling stages, zip lines and den-building activities. Other activities at BeWILDerwood Cheshire include the Wobbly Wires, the Slippery Slopes, the Broken Bridge and Curious Treehouses.
None of the attractions features any technology either, so kids can enjoy going back to basics.
Knockhatch Adventure Park
The huge playground has dual water slides, go-karting and even a petting zoo.
There are also a bunch of themed experiences adventure seekers can delve into while at the park, including The Sherlock Holmes Experience, the Wave Runner and the huge Lost World Playbarn slides.
The Wave Runner is a water slide where riders plummet from a thirty-two-foot tower in a raft before skimming across the water pool at the bottom.
Another one in Wales has amazing rollercoasters and aerial attractions.
And one has been so popular, it’s staying open for winter.
