Construction of 'world's largest play structure' in Northumberland

Construction is well under way creating the Lilidorei play area at the Alnwick site

A £15m children's park which it is claimed will be the largest play structure in the world is starting to take shape.

The Duchess of Northumberland came up with the idea for Lilidorei - a Christmas-themed village.

It is being built in a forest clearing at The Alnwick Garden and will feature the fantasy homes of fairies, elves and hobgoblins, which will be connected by zip wires, climbing walls and slides.

It is expected to open in the spring.

The Danish design team say the fantasy play area will be 'a place where you can’t see the beginning or find the end'

Monstrum, the Danish designers behind it, said they wanted to make a "world designed by elves and built by trolls" where houses are linked with play equipment such as walkways and slides.

In total there will be six slides, a number of bridges measuring 557ft (170m) in total as well as multiple towers - the tallest being 80ft high (24m), with the site surrounded by 1,400 Christmas trees and giant baubles.

Intricate walkways and bridges link the play structure together

Lilidorei's head of play Nathan Bonk said: "It's a magical village where Christmas is prepared all year long."

A number of youngsters from St Paul's Primary school in Alnwick have had the chance to visit the site, in a move their headteacher Donna Newton said had left many "speechless" and "unable to believe what they were seeing".