One of the most well-known playgrounds in the world is finally open! Wednesday 5 August saw the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground open its gates to the public, after being shut for almost one year while an intense refurbishment took place, following a £3 million investment by The Royal Parks charity.
The playground, which is located in Kensington Gardens, opened in 2000 to commemorate the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who resided at the nearby Kensington Palace.
© CHRISTOPHER LLEWELLYNThe Peter Pan-inspired playground underwent a full-scale refurbishment after some of the equipment, including the iconic, large sailing ship, had reached the end of its lifespan.
© CHRISTOPHER LLEWELLYN/ The Royal ParksI was fortunate enough to take my young children to a sneak peek a week before the grand opening, and it was nothing short of a masterpiece. The park looked luminous as we entered, appearing pristine and expertly crafted.
The standout features - from iconic pirate ship to crocodile water play
The pièce de résistance was the pirate ship - a 17-metre by 12-metre Galleon nestled on a sandy 'beach'. The wooden creation comes complete with two crow's nests, tunnels, and a variety of explorative play equipment below deck. My son was entranced with the life-like ship's wheel.
© CHRISTOPHER LLEWELLYNMy daughter adored the ethereal treehouse, which features three different towers to climb as well as an exhilarating four-metre tunnel slide. An accessible walkway provides lots of fun elements such as talk tubes, musical instruments and tic-tac-toe.
© CHRISTOPHER LLEWELLYNThe heatwave the UK is experiencing right now is the perfect accompaniment to the brand-new waterplay area, shaped like a larger-than-life-sized crocodile sculpture. Flowing dams run ingeniously across the crocodile's body so children can control the flow of water and cool themselves down when the weather heats up.
© CHRISTOPHER LLEWELLYNMy daughter, who is of pre-school age, loved running in and out of the cutest timber houses, using the provided buckets on chains to get lost in imaginative sand play - she was quite literally entertained for hours.
© CHRISTOPHER LLEWELLYNThe Royal Parks charity has also upgraded and expanded the playground's toilets, and the café features an array of scrumptuous, reasonably priced refreshments, from ice cream to croissants.
Andy Williams, Park Manager for Kensington Gardens, said: "This playground has been thoughtfully designed so that children of all abilities and interests can find something that appeals to them."
It goes without saying that the playground is the hottest ticket in town, so be prepared for queues. "This incredibly popular playground has a capacity of 450 people and with UK schools now on summer break, we are expecting more people to visit than usual," added Andy. "Therefore, there may be lengthy queues across the week, but especially at weekends."
Although it's magical to have some time off with your children in the school summer holidays, finding things for them to do can be quite the task, and expensive. This playground is a free, extensive activity that children of all ages can enjoy. It's also in the grounds of one of London's most famed outdoor spaces, Kensington Gardens, providing a day out for all the family. I can't wait to return.
