Dinton Pastures to get major revamp

Wokingham Borough Council’s has selected RHS Gold Medal and BBC People’s choice award-winning play space designers Davies White Landscape Architects to create the £500,000 destination play space, which is planned to open in April 2014. Work is due to start this September, funded by developer’s contributions, and be ready for children to enjoy next spring.

Young visitors have already given the new play space their thumbs up after they viewed a model of the proposals. Its design reflects valuable feedback from residents and other groups on the type of play features suitable for children with a wide range of abilities. Interested people can view the model at the Civic Offices, Shute End until Wednesday July 17 and at Dinton Pastures from Thursday July 18 for the foreseeable future.

At the northern part of the play space there will be a woodland picnic area, den-building structures, swinging hanging logs and mining tunnel entrance encouraging underground exploration and the building of their own play structures. There will also be a woodland obstacle course.

For more adventurous, proposals include giant nest towers – the tallest being just under four metres, overlooking the duck pond.

The central area will feature many more traditional play features as well as a number of exciting new editions including a funnel net trap, play bridge and troll holes, and a leaf shelter. The giant climbing logs, sourced locally, will be three metres high with hand grips. Funnel trap nests will mean young children can play with older ones, as well as able-bodied and disabled all together.

Joining the main mounds will be a timber bridge connecting two large grassy mounds with a secret hidey-hole. Another popular feature set to be installed is a zip wire. Toddlers will not miss out either, with dedicated space featuring swings, a willow maze and a huge giant log. A large storytelling area will also be created using giant wooden eggs.

Visitors to the park can currently enjoy golf, sailing, boat hire, climbing, walking, and great food; as well as being able to observe wildlife.

The Vision for Dinton Pastures programme was agreed by the council in 2009 and has seen facilities at The Dragonfly Café upgraded with a new kitchen, extension and toilet block. The Dinton Multi-Activity Centre has benefited from new equipment and now offers a wide range of activities including sailing, canoeing, rock climbing, bush craft, orienteering and team building days. A Changing Places toilet also opened earlier this year boasting a shower, hoist and changing table designed for visitors with profound mobility problems and/or learning difficulties.