Vale of White Horse District Council is to provide an exciting new play area in Abingdon’s Abbey Meadow, thanks to a £320,000 investment.
The revamp is part of a major £615,000 project to improve Abbey Meadow - attracting more visitors throughout the year.
The work will also see new toilets, new fencing around the splash park and dedicated changing facilities for children. There will also be a circular dog walk, and a new sloping path to provide people with disabilities easy access to the splash area and riverside. In a separate project the Vale is also providing more than £1million to refurbish the outdoor pool and changing rooms.
The main play area has been designed to bring local history to life, particularly for children. As people enter through the main gate they will be greeted with an area packed full of adventure. The centrepiece of the new play are is Grand Abbey, designed on how Abingdon Abbey would have looked hundreds of years ago, including climbing towers, wobbly bridges and climbing nets. Next to the Grand Abbey will be a river scene featuring a boat to climb on and a mini Abingdon Lock to walk along.
A new sensory area and play garden will provide a great place for toddlers to explore, while a new pathway will ensure the new play area is fully accessible for those with disabilities, with inclusive equipment such as a broad slide, trampoline and roundabout also on offer.
The site will include an informal area for ball games, a seating area, and lots of traditional play equipment such as slides, swings, a climbing net and a zip line.
Following feedback sessions with visitors to the current park over the summer, the new area will now also feature monkey bars, a diamond climbing net, aerial seesaw, more seating and litter bins, and the popular rocking horse, which is part of the existing site, will be refurbished.
Cllr Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “The designs for the new park look fantastic, brilliantly capturing the famous Abbey and the riverside location. Our aim is to create one of the best play areas in Oxfordshire, providing a safe and fun place for families to enjoy and which attracts many more visitors to the area.
Cllr Charlotte Dickson, Cabinet Member for Leisure at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “I’m delighted we’ve agreed this major investment to improve Abbey Meadow and am really look forward to seeing people enjoying the new play area next year. The new play area, along with the other improvements we’ll be making, and the refurbishment to the outdoor pool, will really help to give this much loved area a new lease of life.”