Archerfield Walled Garden in East Lothian showcased plans for a £1.5m, elements-themed, woodland adventure play trail and learning area, entitled ‘Eldbotle Wood’, at a public exhibition, which is set to create 20 new jobs for the local area.
The hospitality, retail and leisure destination, which was built in 2013, is part of Archerfield Estates Limited, owned by sisters Elly and Annie Douglas-Hamilton, whose family bought Archerfield Estate in the 1960s.
Today, the family, who employ 65 staff, retain around 250 acres of land surrounding Archerfield Walled Garden, which includes regeneratively farmed fields and woodlands managed for native wildlife.
Archerfield Walled Garden, which has continued to expand over the years, currently features a garden café, a lifestyle store, food market, gardens, an outdoor event space and extensive grounds which include a pond, labyrinth, willow and fairy walk.
Ahead of planning being submitted for ‘Eldbotle Wood’, a public exhibition was held at Archerfield Walled Garden recently to unveil the plans, which include a children’s adventure trail with four play zones and an outdoor learning area available for local schools and community groups to use, all inspired by an elements theme.
Award-winning adventure play designers, CAP.CO, who have been commissioned to design and develop the unique attraction, also attended the event to highlight the overall concept.
Elly Douglas-Hamilton, Chief Executive of Archerfield Estates Limited said: “We are delighted that the feedback we’ve already received for our plans to create a magical outdoor play experience, which have been in development for a number of years, has been really positive, especially from local schools and community groups.
“We have worked closely with CAP.CO who completely understood our vision from the very beginning to design a unique woodland adventure trail, rooted in imagination and nature, and are very excited about bringing it to life.”
