Of all the projects we’ve been involved in over the last decade, few come close to being as significant as The Lost Castle at Lowther. It shaped our thinking, pushed our capabilities, and above all, had a profound impact on its location and the wider community.
Before The Lost Castle was built, Lowther Castle welcomed just under 40,000 visitors annually. Children in theory went free, but it wasn’t particularly relevant as very few ever visited. In the years that followed its installation, those figures rose to between 120,000 and 150,000.
This is largely down to the investment in properly considered, family-focused adventure play — embedded within the site’s rich history and integrated into a remarkable wider re-landscaping plan.
Nestled within a once seldom-trodden piece of woodland deep in the historic landscape, the play was developed to celebrate the architectural features of the ruined castle, while inviting visitors to walk the distance from the castle to explore a maze of turrets, ramps, slides, walkways, climbing walls, and zipwires — offering endless possible routes and a sense of magic within the trees.
To this day, The Lost Castle at Lowther remains one of the largest timber play structures in the UK — and a true flagship project in the journey of CAP.CO.
