California Country Park

Green Play Project was the Designer and Principle Contractor of a flagship playground at California Country Park completed in 2021, for our client Wokingham Borough Council. The 5000m2 site already contained a cafe, outdoor paddling pool and deteriorating playground. The brief was to reimagine the existing playground area into a sensory and inclusive destination playground for a younger age group and disabled children. Along with developing within the woodland area to cater for older children, young adults and adventurous younger children. The play equipment ranges in challenge and height allowing different ages to play alongside each other. It was also important to consider the high visitor numbers on hot days using the paddling pool and needing space to spread out on the grass with picnic blankets. 

Child smiling and sliding down a metal playground slide at a wooden treehouse playground in a park with trees and wood chips on the ground.
Children playing on playground equipment in a wooded park during daytime.
Children playing on a wooden playground structure in a park with trees.
Children playing on a colorful playground with swings, slides, and climbing structures in a park on a sunny day.
Colorful playground with modern metal and wood climbing structures and slides, surrounded by trees and a bright, sunny sky.
Children playing at a water play station outdoors with trees and grass in the background
Empty playground with swings, ladder, trees with fall foliage, and a building in the background on a sunny day.
Children playing on a playground with metal climbing bars, a slide, and a colorful rubberized surface, surrounded by trees and a blue sky.

Detail 01. Sensory Garden

The Sensory Garden is an inclusive space where children can investigate and discover their world through creative play or test their physical abilities in more active play. It has a fully accessible wetpour surface that hugs the shape of the existing ship structure and surface, to fully embed that existing element into the overall design. 

Several accessible pieces of equipment include a wide basket swing, musical chimes tunnel to pass through and spinning disc roundabout. A bespoke climbing structure with two levels and a wide slide enables multiple children to play together and adult access for assistance. The water play area is contained by a cobble rill (with accessible bridge access) and offers a space for imaginative and explorative play for all ages and abilities - more details below.

Children playing on a colorful playground with slides, seesaws, and climbing structures in a park on a sunny day.

Detail 02. Water play

We wanted to make water an important element of the space and designed it to be inclusive, accessible and all weather which will attract families even on wet days. A shallow cobble stream set into the wet pour surface contains the water and prevents it from running out into the surrounding land. The cobble rill is perfect for bare foot and welly water play, small fixed boulders create diversions to the flow, for wheelchair access we have included a timber bridge to the central island.

Wooden playground set with slide and climbing features in a park surrounded by tall trees, with sunlight shining through the branches.

Detail 03. The Wild Woods

The Wild Wood area is a space of exploration and adventure fully emerged into the existing woodland. Careful consideration of the trees was needed to ensure the installation had low impact and incorporated significant trees where appropriate. Three connecting tree houses of varying heights and level of challenge are wrapped around existing pine trees, and are surrounded by a rope and pole agility course, climbing pyramid and sound cushions. A zip wire and carved animals provide further playful features at ground level for children of differing ages and abilities.

A spacious playground park with slides, swings, and trees under a clear blue sky, with benches and a walking path.

Detail 04. Linking spaces

As part of the masterplan, the space in between the two main areas was developed with features including a set of inclusive swings and in-ground trampolines, catering from toddlers to children of all ages and abilities. To accommodate high visitor numbers we also established a new path network that linked the existing and proposed areas, ensuring there was adequate seating for parents and carers, including a range of benches, boulders, large oak logs and hammocks, along with open lawn space for summer picnics and out spill from the paddling pool area. 

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A young boy with brown hair smiling while playing on a swing in a wooded yard during daytime.
A white bee graphic with leafy wing patterns inside an orange circle with a white border.