Cattle Country Adventure Park

Tony Cullimore, owner of Cattle Country Adventure Park in Gloucester, wanted to revamp an area of his well-established & very popular farm attraction. They wanted to make it a stand-alone marketable attraction within the adventure park. Something impressive to attract more customers through the gate! So back in 2015, we met with Tony & Stuart (their General Manager) & started on a 3-year plan to create an amazing ‘Kids Berkeley Castle’. This wasn’t a blank canvas project because we were working with, in & around existing equipment and a farm access road. The existing play fort (12m x 12m) still had years of life left. It backs on to a large mound covered in trees that was used to access a couple of slides & a tyre climbing wall. Here’s what happened!

The Challenge

Phase 1 - 2016

The Wish List:
Add an extension to the existing play fort & take children safely over the farm lane, to make more use of the crazy golf area.

The Challenge:
From the existing play fort, there was a steep slope down to the concrete farm track & the trees made access tricky. Plus Cattle Country is a working farm & they needed their combine harvester to still get down the farm lane. So we needed height!

Phase 2 - 2017

The Challenge:
Access for phase 2 was incredibly tricky. Everything needed to come onto the site via steep slopes & steps, so we had to factor this into the design. Direction bridges through trees was another challenge. And tying everything in to existing equipment meant there was going to be a lot of onsite work.

Phase 3 - 2018

The Challenge:
This last phase was for older children - an extension off the far side of the original fort. So Tony needed bigger, tougher challenges, whilst still being safe enough for all visitors to use. The side extension would give the finished project a more visually attractive & imposing feel too, as customers looked down across the park.

The Solution

Phase 1 - 2016

The Solution:
Children love being a little bit scared! And it was only natural to create a net bridge that took the children (and adults, we all love to play) out from the existing fort & through the trees. They can see the ground drop away as they negotiate the bridge to the first tower. This first tower then leads to a bridge that goes over the farm lane. We needed to leave 5m clearance for the farm machinery to get through – which meant the new bridge needed to be HIGH! Not only that, but the bridge needed to look attractive & imposing from the outside too. We made the bridge so the children were completely enclosed (and felt secure) but could see out & see how high in the air they are. The second tower then has a super fun spiral tube slide. And for visitors without a need for speed, a tumble tower also leads down to the first floor with a ladder & steps to the crazy golf course area.

How it Worked Out: This project looks amazing! It’s so majestic as you look down across the park.

Phase 2 - 2017

The Solution:
First, we created a large platform that covers most of the top of the mound. This eliminated slippery mud from the area! Then halfway up the mound, we then created a midway tower to take the bridges through the trees. We created platforms that tied in to the existing slide (manufactured flat pack, due to the access issues). And finally, we created a two-story tower that sits on one corner of the platform.

How it Worked Out: It feels like a real adventure, as you climb up & work your way along the bridges through the trees! Of course, a lot of this phase is hidden by the trees, which is all part of the fun. And the view from the top of this tower is amazing!

Phase 3 - 2018

The Solution:
Two more towers with a large straight slide! This meant fitting another big tube slide & some additional, trickier challenges for the older children.

How it Worked Out: Here’s what Stuart Burnell, General Manager of Cattle Country Adventure Park says: “It’s a great success! And gives the ‘WOW’ factor. The investment has had a major impact - apart from looking great, it’s added extra value to the castle and kids spend hours playing on it”

For us at Outdoor Play People, it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable challenge. Working alongside Tony, Stuart & James has been a pleasure, overcoming the hurdles together. It feels SO good to watch your client benefit so much, from something we’ve produced!

Client Testimonial

It’s a great success! And gives the ‘WOW’ factor. The investment has had a major impact – apart from looking great, it’s added extra value to the castle and kids spend hours playing on it.

- Stuart Burnell, Cattle Country Adventure Park.