Go to content
Case Studies
Warwick Castle came to us with the desire to further enhance the family offer at their prestigious hotel with a dedicated play area that would not only look enticing in their marketing material, but offer true play value, increase dwell time, and enhance an already outstanding visitor experience. Working within the parameters of Warwick Castle’s conservation and planning requirements, we have created a stand out feature that will bring families back to the castle again and again.
A Historic Visitor Attraction
Warwick Castle is a great day out for all the family, blending immersive historical entertainment experiences with the grandeur of a genuine medieval castle, originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. With thrilling jousting tournaments, dramatic bird of prey displays, engaging history tours, mazes, landscaped gardens, and majestic architecture, it’s no surprise that many guests choose to extend their visit with an overnight stay.
A New Visitor Offer
The Castle has long offered unique accommodation options, including woodland lodges and glamping tents. However, the opening of a new 60-bedroom themed hotel inspired the management team to further enhance the family experience with a dedicated play area—developed in partnership with Timberplay.
Sustainably Built
Creating a new attraction within such a historically significant landscape brought unique planning challenges. However, the choice of Mountain Larch as the core material for the play equipment helped support the planning application. This natural, durable timber aligned with the castle’s aesthetic while satisfying the conservation requirements.
Warwick Castle also made the bold decision to forego synthetic wet pour surfacing in favour of wood chip. Not only does this material provide excellent impact absorption, but it also contributes additional play value through its texture, sound, and interaction with natural surroundings.
Explorative Play
The result is a beautifully crafted play castle that captures the imagination of young adventurers. At the heart of the space is a bespoke central play tower, surrounded by slides, balancing ropes, a fireman’s pole, and wobbly bridges. These features mirror the spirit of exploration inspired by the real castle, giving children a space to relive their own medieval quests.
For quieter moments, children can retreat to a play hut—perfect for imaginative roleplay and social interaction. Despite its compact footprint, the play area offers a wide range of challenges and experiences, accommodating children of varying ages and abilities.
Strategically positioned close to the hotel bar, the play area allows parents and carers to relax while their children enjoy active play nearby—enhancing convenience and overall guest satisfaction.
Matt Halford, Head of Estates & Facilities at Warwick Castle, reflects on the installation’s success:
“We have been exceptionally pleased with the success of the play area. It is very well used and extremely popular, particularly during peak family times such as school holidays and weekends. From a commercial point of view, it has totally met our objectives of increasing dwell time and secondary spend. It also adds to the guests’ overall feeling that they’ve received good value for money during their stay, encouraging them to return in the future.”
