Brothers Toby and Archie McKelvey were amongst the first children to discover the Secret Swamp at Castle Espie when it opened on Saturday 30th May 2015.
Castle Espie Wetland Centre has revealed The Secret Swamp - a new, natural outdoor play space where children can connect with nature through active and imaginative play.
Secret Swamp adventures abound with the discovery of a log den secret hide out, curious stumpery, a pixie phone musical clearing, magical toadstool glade and a tall tree house adjacent to the dazzling green secret swamp. Active play features include a clamber web, sweet track balance beams over a mucky marsh, a zip wire, tree swing, wobbly bridge and swamp stomp stepping stones.
Commenting on the overwhelming reaction to the new development at Castle Espie, Centre Manager Sarah Clarke said:
“In creating the Secret Swamp I believe we’ve provided a fun, natural environment for play, sympathetically designed to make the most of the resources available in what was previously an underused part of the reserve.
The Secret Swamp is a haven where children can be in tune with nature and use their imaginations to explore features such as the old beech wishing tree, toadstool glade, the tall tree house and the secret mini tree doors marked with the woodland tree species”
A rambler’s route nature walk starts at an old beech wishing tree where a style traverses a stone boundary wall and into the woodland below. An accessible, circular trail meanders its way around the woodland with a sustainably built boardwalk crossing over the swamp. Secluded benches on the edge of the swamp are a peaceful resting point to enjoy the trill of the woodland bird song whilst taking in the vibrant swamp and the tangle of goat willow above. Fallen Norway Spruces have been repurposed and replanted upside down in the stumpery picnic area overlooking the tall tree house and the swamp beyond.
The Secret Swamp is the latest in a series of developments. In the last year, Castle Espie has opened a free to visit Sensory Garden and an arctic themed Brent Play Barn soft play room with increasing numbers of visitors enjoying the diverse facilities on offer in addition to the spectacular wildlife on the shores of Strangford Lough.
