Newton Abbot play park redesigned

But it will close for eight weeks

Work has begun on the major refurbishment of the play park at Decoy Country Park which will see the popular facility closed for several weeks.

The Newton Abbot playground is being given a revamp with new equipment which will provide ‘excitement, fun, movement and adventure’ for youngsters of all ages.

The six-figure sum spent by Teignbridge District Council refurbishing the three play zones is funded by the Community Infrastructure Levy and what's known as S106 funds provided by developers. Work was due to take place last year but was delayed by the pandemic.

The scheme has a junior area, toddler area and an adventure area, as well as a new 5.4 metre high timber tree house to replace the a slightly taller castle unit.

The play park will be closed for approximately eight weeks. 

THE JUNIOR AREA

The main feature of the new playground is a tree house multiplay climber. Standing at a height of 5.5 metres, a viewing platform provides commanding views over the adjacent lake. A tube slide from the platform also provides views out.

A lower-level slide ensures that younger children can also play with their older friends on the same equipment. There are multiple climbing activities (arches, ramps, ladders, nets, and ropes on the unit as well as a challenging balance walk).

TODDLER AREA

The main multi-play unit is based on a little ship and it provides opportunities for role play, incorporating a steering wheel, a play compass and a play telescope, social play, sliding, and climbing.

Accessible steps allow young children to reach the top deck, while the ship is located on the side of the area so as now to hamper site lines up the play area. A wobble bridge crosses the water over to a hill, where children can crawl through the underground tunnel, while further play is available via the four-seat rotating unit.

There will be a two seat spring seesaw and a ‘springy’ with a back, so as to allow use by physically challenged children and their careers. The wet pour links up to the cradle swings, reducing the amount of mud that is produced in winter.

ADVENTURE AREA

The two aerial runways will be replaced completely. A stainless steel climbing frame provides climbing activities. There will also be a spinning machine which ‘spins vertically’ and ‘lead to hoots of laughter from users’.

LANDSCAPING

The aim is to refresh the park and make it more usable by removing some of the worst mud spots. A new pavilion shelter will be in the same space, with seating on the inside, while the pathways leading up to and around the play area will be finished in green.

New rustic benches and picnic benches are included, now either set into grass around the perimeter of the play areas, or onto the existing hard standing pads, while the two picnic benches adjacent to the new climbing frame will be surfaced in TigerMulch to help prevent the muddiness here in the winter months.

There will also be the addition of a basket swing and associated safety surfacing, to be located adjacent to the other two swing sets.

The Country Park was first created in 1988 and was named after an earlier lake at which ducks were lured into a ‘decoy’ and then caught and killed for food. The area now supports a wealth of wildlife, with ponds, streams, fen, wet woodland and heath woodland, but it was once a clay quarry.

Facilities at the park include the BMX race track and dirt jumps, sports pitches, the woodland walks, picnic benches, a refreshment kiosk, fishing, sailing and canoeing on the lake, and the large play area.

The Decoy area was once part of the estate owned by the Courtenay family – the Earls of Devon – and formed part of their extensive parkland that surrounded their Elizabethan mansion.