Hylands Park to host Go Ape high rope course

The centre will be Go Ape's 35th UK site and its first in Essex

The outdoor adventure company Go Ape has been granted permission to build a new high rope course in the grounds of a Grade II-listed Georgian house.

The firm plans to begin construction at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex, this spring and open the new centre by July.

The attraction - its 35th in the UK - would be built in the woodland area just west of the Writtle entrance car park and be its first site in Essex.

The application was accepted by Chelmsford City Council planners.

Hylands Park was bought from private ownership by Chelmsford City Council in 1964

The company said the attraction would include its treetop challenge, treetop adventure plus and treetop adventure features, plus 100 "challenging" aerial crossings, eight ziplines and a Tarzan swing.

No extra parking provision is planned.

Rose Moore, the council's Liberal Democrat cabinet member for greener and safer Chelmsford, said: "It's wonderful that people will be able to have new experiences in our woods and see the park from a different perspective."

Hylands Park used to be a base for V Festival

Hylands House was built in roughly 1730 and is made up of 100 acres in parkland and 300 acres in farmland.

The council bought it from private ownership in 1964.

It has been most famous as a base for V Festival, which ended in 2017.