New children’s play area and improved car parking space approved in double boost for Burghley House near Peterborough

Plans for both projects were submitted in December and have now both been approved by the city council.

They were put forward by Burghley Estates following a review of visitor facilities in a masterplanning process in conjunction with Historic England and Peterborough City Council’s Conservation Office.

The process identified a number of areas in which the visitor experience could be enhanced and one of those was a purpose-designed play area known as ‘The Glade’. It was noted that the ‘Garden of Surprises’ had evolved into a de facto play area, but it was not designed for this purpose.

The new play area will be located on the eastern edge of the sculpture garden and will only be accessible to those who have brought a park ticket.

The play area will include a wheelchair accessible central play tower, designed to reference Burghley House itself with the ‘copper pot’ roof detailing. The play area will also include a unique six metre drop slide, a four metre spiral slide, rope bridges, a crawl tunnel, cargo nets as well as a more sensory focused experience, including talking tubes and percussive play items.

To the north of The Glade will be a new toddler play area, along with a refreshments kiosk and toilet block.

Burghley Estates have also been boosted by the news that their plans for additional car parking space have been approved.

The existing car park is located on a grassy area on the north east of the house. The new car park will now move further east, closer to the Garden of Surprises and the Sculpture Garden. This would eliminate problems with muddy ground in the wet and the possibility of falling branches. The old car park site will be returned to parkland.

The new parking area will provide 363 car spaces and six coach spaces and an overflow of 300 spaces. Burghley Estates say that this will help the park manage its demand for parking in a better way.