The Challenge
Back in the Autumn of 2023, Pennywell Farm got in touch with Outdoor Play People with regards to a new attraction for their popular award-winning Farm Attraction. The site gets very busy and the Farm Yard area & café can get very congested. The idea was to create something eye catching, that would draw visitors out of the yard. The plan was to create an eye catching play area with seating and a Food & Beverage Unit. Cathy went to the site & met with Seb Murray. The proposed area was a Go Cart Track which had been in place for approximately 20 years. It had a tarmac track winding through mounds with a couple of bridges over the track. There were quite a few bushes & trees which were hiding the area from the rest of the park & they were also hiding the most amazing views up to Dartmoor & across to Torbay. They spent time walking around the proposed site and talked through ideas. Seb expressing Pennywell’s wish list, wants & needs. Cathy shared her thoughts how OPP could make use of the existing track & mounds to make an interesting & accessible area. Once discussions were fully exhausted, Cathy - now armed with a large wish list, site dimensions, photos, a budget figure & a head full of ideas – got back to OPP HQ to get a design & quote put together.The Solution
Several designs & quotes went back & forth before a final design was agreed upon. It is important that our customer is really happy with their final design as you’ve got to live with it for many years to come. The end result is 6m high Towers with 3 x colourful Tube slides all facing towards the main yard, ensuring a big visual impact drawing customers out of the yard and in to the new play area. This eases congestion in the main yard & cafe, whilst giving their visitors a whole new area to either let off steam or sit & enjoy the view with a nice drink & a bite to eat. Giving Pennywells much loved visitors even greater value for money. Once the order was placed, we were in the midst of the wettest winter, which held up the commencement of site works. There were also some unforeseen challenges along the way. This can happen with site work as the elements and unknown issues can arise. We can only control the controllable and do our best around the uncontrollable. The area was completed in time for the Summer Holidays. I think you'll agree, the area look magnificent and as time goes on, new trees will grow and the area will keep its fabulous views.Project Gallery
The Outcome
“We are so thrilled with the new Adventure play area! It is proving a real hit with our visitors!
The craftsmanship & care taken in every detail is evident & the quality of the finish further affirms the decision to work with the Outdoor Play People on such a pivotal project.
Although it would be fair to say the project faced its fair share of challenges, the determination and persistence in tackling these was a real testament to you and the team.
Your positivity & professionalism has been a joy to work with over the course of the project”
To the Team who manufactured and installed the equipment.
“Just a quick note to extend out appreciation for the work you all put in to create such an amazing play area! The craftsmanship, skill & attention to detail given to every area is visibly clear & we are delighted with the end result.
The play area is proving a real hit with visitors in these first few weeks of the summer holidays & it is regularly receiving high praise in visitor reviews!
Thank you for your dedication in creating such an amazing space for families to enjoy for years to come.
As a thank you we hope you enjoy a well-earned beer on a summers afternoon.
All the Best Chris, Nicky, Angus, Seb Murray & Ben Hayden.