Milton Keynes' biggest free play area for children opens this week

Milton Keynes’ biggest free to use play area opens at Willen Lake on Friday.

The facility is more than an acre in size and has a fun nautical theme to fit in with the lakeside setting.

Created with immersive paly in mind, it is made up of two parts, with a larger, more adventurous older children and smaller, enclosed area for younger children.

The larger area has a wide range of equipment, including a lighthouse tower with tunnel slide, a lookout crow’s nest and a suspension bridge.

The second area is suitable for younger children and those with additional needs. Situated close to the new Watersports Centre and the Benugo Bar & Kitchen, this area is enclosed on three sides making it safe for little ones to explore.

It has been designed to allow for pushchairs and wheelchairs to easily access the play equipment. The flooring in this area is made with a rubber crumb to make it smooth and soft.

This area has a wheelchair accessible roundabout, a basket swing and extra wide slides.

All the equipment has been constructed from the highest quality robinia wood which reflects the natural parkland found at the lake.

Meanwhile, refurbishment works have also been undertaken at the old play area at the lake, with the installation of a new large piece of equipment, the rope swing, as well as landscaping improvements.

The new play area forms part of the wider improvement works happening at Willen Lake. In June of this year, their state of the art Watersports Centre open, followed shortly by the opening of the café; Benugo Bar & Kitchen in July.

Willen Lake is Milton Keynes’ most popular park with over 850,000 visitors each year. The new projects there are funded by The Parks Trust, the independent charity that cares for the greenspace in Milton Keynes. The income generated from activities and car parking at Willen Lake contributes to this.