It hasn't even opened yet but the world's largest play structure in Northumberland has already made a list of the best adventure playgrounds in the country.
Lilidorei, a magical kingdom made up of nine clans who are always preparing for Christmas, is due to open this spring at the Alnwick Garden. Centred around a 26-metre tall structure named Elfvindrin, it is the height of an eight story building and has six slides and 170 metres of bridges and 126 metres of towers.
It is hoped that the adventure playground will bring as many as 280,000 people to Northumberland throughout the year, boosting the economy of Alnwick and the surrounding area by tens of millions of pounds over the next decade. And following the recommendation in The Times, ChronicleLive were told that the opening date announcement is coming imminently.
Read more: A look around Lilidorei at the Alnwick Garden where it’s Christmas all year round
A spokesperson for the Alnwick Garden said: "To be named as one of the seven best adventure playgrounds before we’ve even opened is absolutely incredible. We have hosted various school groups during construction and I’m sure that they will all agree with The Times – one child actually said 'that was the best day of my life!'
"We will be announcing our opening date imminently and have already seen a huge uptake of the tickets that we have made available for the summer holidays. We really can’t wait to open and show everyone that there is so much more to do that just to play on the world's largest play structure."
Of Lilidorei, The Times wrote: "The Duchess of Northumberland is a big kid at heart, splashing £15 million on Lilidorei, aka the world’s largest play structure, in a forest clearing within the grounds of Alnwick Castle. It’s due to open at Easter, but it will be Christmas year round in this mythical wonderland where little ones will discover elves, goblins and pixies hiding inside gingerbread houses and slides as tall as eight-storey buildings — all adorned with 20 miles of fairy lights.
"It’s a dream for adults too and the all-natural design means there’s no plastic in sight (adults £12, over-2s £15, under-2s free; lilidoreialnwick.co.uk). At Bamburgh beach nearby, there’s also a new fully wheelchair-accessible playground with a pirate ship."
To read the full article of the best adventure playgrounds in the UK, visit the Times website.
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