AN entire class of students from a County Durham school were the first children in the county to test drive Raby Castle’s much-awaited new playground in the trees, The Plotters’ Forest, before it opens to the public at Easter.
Over thirty Class 4 students from Cockfield Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, and their teachers put down their pencils and picked up their adventurous spirits as they became ‘Raby Rebels’ on Friday (April 14) afternoon ahead of the Easter break.
The children, who were awarded the prize to be the first to visit the playground after winning a local competition to design an adventure space of their own, were joined by Lord and Lady Barnard, owners of Raby Castle, who judged the competition and were keen to hear their feedback.
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Speaking at the schoolchildren’s visit, Lady Barnard said: “We had many schools in the area take part in our competition to design an inspirational playground and we were overwhelmed by the quality and creativity of the entries.
“They were all worthy winners, but we had to choose just one and Cockfield Primary School really excelled in a design which looked so colourful and creative and seemed to be a real collaborative effort from the whole class.
“After two years of limited school trips, it was wonderful to welcome Class 4 and their teachers to our new woodland playground.”
Raby’s two young local heroes, eight-year-old Ryan Chidzey from Gainford CE Primary and Preschool and eight-year-old Charlotte Hawke from the Federation of Abbey Schools in Darlington also tested out the equipment at The Plotters’ Forest.
Ryan and Charlotte won a competition to attend the breaking ground ceremony when the work started on the playground at the end of last year and were invited back to enjoy the finished product.
The Plotters’ Forest, designed specifically for Raby Castle, is one of a kind and is named after the part the castle played in The Rising of the North in 1569.
Visitors will see special features throughout the site, which echo Raby Castle’s architectural history – including its entrance which has been built to honour the famous Nevill Gateway, and the Plotters’ Spire, a three-story tower with a top-floor slide and unusual pentagon shapes which have been used across the playground.
It is the first stage of Raby’s wider development scheme The Rising, that promises to attract new visitors to the area and create outstanding recreation for the local community.
Kathryn Costello, Headteacher at Cockfield Primary School said of the visit: "The children were delighted to have won this competition and felt really privileged to be the first children to be able to play on the new playground.
“They enjoyed the challenge of taking part in the competition and really let their imaginations fly when working on their entries.”
The Plotters’ Forest opened to the public on Good Friday, April with tickets now on sale from the website: https://www.raby.co.uk/raby-castle/play/.
Prices for the Park & Plotters’ Forest cost: £8 for adults, £7.50 for children (4-15yrs) and £29 for a family ticket. A concession ticket is also available at £7. Castle tickets are also available.
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