PLANS have been submitted for a new woodland trail play area at a popular historic estate.

Popular tourist destination Kingston Lacy has applied to Dorset Council for permission to build the new woodland trail, replacing the trail installed in 2017.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application said: “Kingston Lacy is a large historic estate to the east of Wimborne in Dorset, owned and managed by the National Trust.

“A woodland trail was installed around the perimeter of the parkland in 2017. As part of this project a natural play area was established in a clearing to the east of the parkland.

“The climbing frame in the established play area is to be replaced by a new rustic timber platform with a tower, slide, bridge and climbing beams.

“The existing hop logs, stone circle and den areas are to be retained. The new equipment is outside the root protection zone of the surrounding trees.”

The statement said the woodland trail is popular with young families and the National Trust wished to improve it.

It added the play equipment across the estate was being upgraded to increase the focus on educational play.

It continued: “The woodland trail play area is established in a clearing in the western parkland tree belt, and comprises low lying timber and stone objects and timber equipment.

“There is a stone spiral circle, hopping logs, various hollowed-out trunks and hides, a tube, balancing poles and a low chain net climbing frame suspended from vertical timber posts.

“Many of the existing play area features such as the stone circle and the hop logs are to retained.

“The existing climbing chain net equipment is to be replaced with a larger timber play structure, comprising a four-metre-high  timber tower with a tamarisk roof; and a walkway, slide and a tangle climb. Interactive play panels will be installed close to the existing path.”

All the apparatus would be constructed using sweet chestnut, the statement said, and the tower would have a mock thatch tamarisk roof.

The statement concluded: “The timber new equipment has been sensitively designed to fit within the context of an historic estate.

“Materials are all natural and the equipment will promote imaginative play and access to nature.”