New state of the art natural play area to officially open to the public
The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company is delighted to announce the official public opening of a new state-of-the-art natural play area at Hogmoor Inclosure on Monday 19 June between 13:30 and 14:30.
The natural play area will be officially opened by Robert Smith of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, at a ribbon cutting ceremony to be attended by members of the public and local dignitaries.
The natural play area has been thoughtfully designed and carefully and sensitively integrated into an existing clearing in the Hogmoor woodland, which is located within easy reach of Hogmoor Road.
Five character areas have been defined which are influenced by the setting: Woodland Play, Informal Play, Sensory play, Passive Play and Active Play.
The state-of-the-art features and equipment includes a maze, wooden play area, sandpit, zip wire, an artificial pond and a rope bridge. There is also a whole range of new plants, street furniture and seating.
“The design of the natural play area accounts for the character of Hogmoor Inclosure and the extraordinary setting it provides children and families to explore the natural world on their doorstep. We want it to become a core part of people’s enjoyment of the great outdoors and we look forward to seeing people at the opening ceremony,”
says James Child, Project Lead, Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company.
The project has taken almost four months to complete and was managed by Avon Construction, who have also overseen the construction of a new bat bunker, bird hide and footpaths within the Hogmoor Inclosure.
Approximately 800 tons of topsoil has been imported along with sea dredge shingle to create a ‘beach effect’ around the new artificial pond, and large glacial boulders have come from Scotland for the landscaping.
New paths link the play area to the existing footpath network and to proposed development areas within Prince Philip Barracks, so visitors can now enjoy three walking routes through the trees with small play items and seating along the routes. The length of the routes are 1.2 km, 2.1 km and 2.9 km.
Those wishing to drive to the opening event can park their vehicles in a new car park on Hogmoor Road.