Picnic & Playgrounds in East Anglia

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Welcome back to Playdale’s Picnic & Play ‘Where to…’ series –  a variety of parks with fantastic Playdale play areas across the country. Perfect places to relax and unwind while entertaining your family.

With the summer holidays now in full swing, it’s always useful to have a list of places to hand where your kids can be entertained. While a break is always most welcome, the summer break can feel like a long period of time – so let us help you find some great family outings and playgrounds in your local area, and make sure no one gets the summertime slump.

This week we’re in glorious East Anglia, where our regional manager Dominic Meylan-Stevenson as picked out two of his favourite playgrounds in the region. Far more than just play areas, these locations have something of interest for everyone, giving the whole family a fabulous day out. 

Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse Museum

VISIT – Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, Gressenhall, Dereham, NR20 4DR

Gressenhall is sited in Dereham, right at the heart of Norfolk. The site brings together a museum, a traditional working farm and a historic workhouse over 50 acres of breathtaking countryside. Apart from educating kids about working conditions of the past, there is also a heritage farm with rare breeds of farm animals, and a nature reserve with protected woodland. There is enough to satisfy even the most enquiring and energetic minds here.  

Of course, the playground here is no slouch either! Playdale worked very closely with the museum to create an adventure playground that complemented the museum and farm, with loads of themed elements to tie the experience together. Features include: a customised Mountain Tower Plus, an Aerial Runway, items from our timber Adventure Trail range, an Activity Net, a Timber Two Bay inclusive Team Swing, a Chimpanzee from our Little Monkey Climbers range, a Glenduckie Plus from our Little Hamlets Plus range, Play Tractor and Trailer, Bespoke Themed Play Panels, Canyon Bridge, Bubble Tunnels and Tube Slide.

Given the breadth of the experience at Gressenhall, it’s the perfect place for adults and children alike to while away a day this summer.

Clare Castle Country Park

VISIT – Clare Castle Country Park Trust, Malting Ln, Clare, Sudbury CO10 8NW

Clare Castle, in Sudbury, Suffolk, is a fantastic country park for all the family, incorporating open countryside with a huge array of scenic walking trails, said to be the most diverse in Suffolk. Run by the local council, the park also incorporates the ruins of Clare Castle; a medieval motte and bailey structure, built shortly after the Norman invasion of England.

The adventure playground at Clare Castle is a real feature, and includes some playground favourites; a Timber Swing, a Merrymeet Plus Play Tower, a  Burundi Jungle Climber, an Inclusive Orbit Roundabout, a Timber Adventure Trail and many more elements to complete a fantastic playspace for the park. 

With its huge size and variety of nature trails, there is an almost limitless experience to be had from the country park, and makes it the perfect place to keep everyone entertained in the long summer holidays.

With all the great opportunities for play out there, we hope you enjoy your downtime in the school holidays, and have the chance to relax and have fun this summer!

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