An innovative woodland adventure play area in the grounds of England’s finest Elizabethan house has proved so popular since opening this spring that it will stay open for the winter.
While Burghley House will close at the end of October as usual, new extended opening times will see the popular Hide & Secretsadventure play area remain open during weekends in November and December.
And, for the first time, Burghley’s gardens will also welcome winter visitors.
News that Hide & Secrets – as well as the Elizabethan-inspired Garden of Surprises and Sculpture Garden – will open on six weekends between 4 November and 17 December comes after rave reviews for the epic play adventure area, set in a re-discovered woodland never before open to the public.
Combining play, exploration, and discovery, and featuring six fun-packed family play zones, youngsters can discover sky-high bug towers, clamber over giant mole hills, explore the woodland and climb a huge wooden Magpie’s Nest, before tackling the Hidden Towers with its two enormous slides, climbing walls, wobbly walkways and crawl tunnels.
The adventure play area is themed around William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley, as one of the country’s first chief spymasters, and youngsters can also complete their own top-secret missions. Featuring new Burghley character Cecil the Mole – Hide & Secrets’ very own chief spymaster – young adventurers can join him on special missions, scurrying through tunnels, cracking the secret codes and following his sneaky trails.
The new attraction also has a separate toddler and pre-schooler area with low-level adventuring featuring a mini slide, rope bridge and balancing trail, while refreshment spot, The Muddy Mole, serves hot dogs and snacks to take away, as well as hot and cold drinks.
For the new winter season, the play area and gardens will be open every weekend, apart from during the Burghley Christmas Fair(25-26 November), from 10am-3.30pm, with the last entry at 3pm.
Tickets booked online in advance for Hide & Secrets, which offer an added value extra by including admission to Burghley’s two gardens, cost from £9 adult, £7.50 children (3-15 years, free for under three) and £30 for a family (two adults and up to three children). Annual Passes are also available offering unlimited visits throughout the open season, which cost £28 adult, £24 child and £98 for a family.
Booking online in advance is strongly recommended to ensure availability for visit date and time.
For more details, visit www.burghley.co.uk