An ingenious structure of treetop nests connected by rope bridges, slides and nets to emulate the natural landscape has been installed at Castle Howard by award-winning designers CAP.Co. The new Skelf Island, designed to engage the next generation with nature, is home to the otherworldly Skelves who have been inhabiting a secret world over the water of Castle Howard’s Great Lake for centuries. They are said to cause mischief and mayhem high up in the trees, interact with the birds and protect the wildlife. This summer, young visitors will be invited over to Skelf Island to take part in an adventure like no other while learning about the special wildlife and ecology of the estate.
“The area of land across Castle Howard’s Great Lake is the original medieval site of Henderskelf, the settlement that predates Castle Howard,” says John Hoy, CEO, Castle Howard. “This has been the inspiration for the design team working on this brand new adventure playground and developing the concept of the otherworldly Skelves. This fantastic addition to the family offer will be included in the garden’s admission ticket and we expect it will attract a lot of visitors from both the local area and holiday makers from further afield.”
