Stanwick Lakes: Play area destroyed by fire to be rebuilt

A large section of the all-wood play equipment at Stanwick Lakes was destroyed by fire in April 2021

An adventure play area at a nature reserve will be rebuilt after it was destroyed by a fire.

Play equipment at Stanwick Lakes, in Northamptonshire, had to be taken down after a fire on 10 April 2021.

Work will start in the spring after local people helped raise £30,000 towards a replacement.

Kate Chadwick, executive director of Rockingham Forest Trust at Stanwick Lakes, which runs the park, said she was "super excited" for the future.

The waterplay area at the front of the photograph still remains but the tower block to the right was destroyed

Liz Williams, a nature expert at the 750-acre site, said: "We had to take the old one down that was damaged, but in the summer we put up a 'Stanwick On-Sea', and we had a big sandpit and deckchairs, so that occupied the space in the meantime.

"Now we're ready to rebuild in the spring."

The work should be finished by the summer, she added.

The adventure trail tyre swings still remain on the 750-acre site

Ms Chadwick said: "The funds raised by kind donations from local individuals and companies have made a massive difference to the facilities that we have been and will be able to provide."

The fire was "devastating and a massive blow" as it was significantly renovated in September 2018, she said.

"I'm super excited, it's great that we're going to be able to get this available by the summer, when we will also be relaunching our café and visitor centre," she said.

Northamptonshire Fire crews were called to the scene at about 01:00 BST on Saturday, 10 April, 2021