York museum flying high with plan for spectacular adventure playground

One of York’s best-loved attractions is set to become even more appealing for families, after it unveiled plans for a spectacular new adventure playground.

The owners of Yorkshire Air Museum plan to add the playground at the entrance to woodland in the north-west corner of the site, in a nature reserve area.

It will include a zip wire, a control tower inspired by the museum’s real one, a wildlife observation area, an outdoor classroom area, a picnic area and a model of a partially-assembled Halifax aircraft with a slide and rope-climbing ladder, and a fuselage that children can climb inside.

The playground, described as the Nature of Flight Adventure Park, will be open only to people who have paid to enter the museum.

Bomber tribute

The museum has submitted a planning application to City of York Council including detailed images of the planned playground.

The plans have been drawn up by Playscheme, a specialist company based less than a mile from the museum. In their brochure for the scheme, Playscheme say the play equipment will reflect the attractions at the museum, and will blend into the woodland surroundings.

They say:

• Our Halifax Bomber is a tribute to the WWII plane and visually and proportionally matches the bomber.

  We have based the site on a manufacturing hub of this historic plane so that children can climb, inspect and explore each component. We have scattered play features across the plane.

  There is a huge amount of play value within this bespoke and unique play area.
  

The land earmarked for the playground is in an area that has been designated as a nature reserve by the city council, but museum staff say no trees will need to be removed.

The full application can be seen on the City of York Council planning website.