Little Beaulieu play park palace gets big bucks with half-million spend

AN impressive half-million-pound play area is coming to Beaulieu in the New Forest next year.

Children of all ages can let their imaginations run wild at the Little Beaulieu wooden palace which will draw on the heritage of Lord Montagu’s ancestral home of Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey.

Packed with hands-on activities, the play area is inspired by the unique site’s history and its architectural features.

It shows off everything from the towers and half-timbered entrances that reflect Palace House, to the arches of the abbey ruins.

Explorers will be able to slide through grand fireplaces, peek out from behind portraits and crawl through a trick bookcase to discover every nook and cranny of the palace, from his Lordship’s library up to the clock tower lookout and turrets.

Younger children will have their own zone with a sandpit and a wooden play bus, modelled on Beaulieu’s vintage model.

Little Beaulieu will be brought to life next year by adventure play area designers and builders CAP.Co Adventure Play, whose past projects have included builds for Treasure Houses of England as well as an intimate wooden stage for Glastonbury Festival.

From early 2020, a standard admission ticket to Beaulieu will include entry to the new play area.

For tickets and details visit www.beaulieu.co.uk.