A new chapter for an old friend
Within the grounds of the fabulous Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, the Park’s famous Adventure playground ‘Skymaze’, has long been a destination for adventure play, exploration and memory-making for families. After more than a decade of constant use and somewhere in the region of 4.5 million guests, the much-loved playground has been reimagined and rebuilt for a new generation.
The work started with the CAP.CO team stripping down the entire structure. All of the stainless steel work for slides, poles and some of the climbing elements were refurbished ready to be reused and the build completed in record time, ready for reopening over the Easter Bank Holiday, and to welcome in the Park’s 56th year.
A playground rooted in place
The new Skymaze rises through three levels of interconnected treehouses, walkways and play routes — a layered structure that invites children to move, explore and discover. Rope bridges stretch between towers, crawl tunnels test nerves and knees, and the stainless steel slides safely speed explorers to ground level, before their next ascent.
It is deliberately intuitive. No fixed path. No prescribed outcome. Just the freedom to explore.
Built for longevity, designed for use
The original Skymaze succeeded because it was used heavily, joyfully, and without pause. Its successor has been designed with that same intensity in mind.
An even more robust palette of materials, including Robinia timber, forms the backbone of the structure. Dense, resilient and naturally durable, it allows the playground to weather both time and use with minimal intervention. Over 120 structural poles anchor the scheme, supporting more than 600 individual timber elements — each one part of the larger, cohesive play environment.
Designed through collaboration
The rebuild was shaped through a close working relationship between CAP.CO, the Park’s Grounds team, and guidance from RoSPA.
Together, the brief was clear – Retain the spirit of the original, while creating something that would endure – structurally, operationally and experientially.
Construction took place through the winter months, allowing the playground to return in time for spring — ready for the seasons that matter most for any outdoor attraction in the UK.
Long live continuity
Skymaze has always been part of a wider culture of play within the Park — a lineage that stretches back to its earliest days, from simple slides to handcrafted structures that captured imagination – the famous Trojan Horse of old is one that lives long in the memory.
Alongside the main structure, younger visitors can explore the Park’s Mini-Manor – a scaled environment of platforms, slides and a miniature zip wire designed for early years play. Elsewhere, long-standing elements such as the original swing location continue to anchor memory and familiarity within the landscape.
At its highest point, the new Skymaze opens out to a viewing platform close to eight metres above the ground — offering a moment of pause, perspective, and connection back to the wider Park.
Come and be amazed
The Skymaze is within Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford, Oxfordshire and open every day. The best prices for tickets are always online in advance. It’s one of the UK’s largest zoological collections and is definitely worth a visit. You can see that here.
Here are just a few pictures as it opened.
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