Construction is underway on the first in a series of exciting new play areas for Nansledan.
Six adventure play spaces are being planned across the community and the first, in the Kosti Veur quarter, is expected to be completed by Christmas.
Each play area is being named after the Cornish word for the type of play that will be encouraged at each site, in keeping with the use of Cornish place names across Nansledan, which itself means ‘broad valley’.
The first play space is called Skrambla (or Scramble), and will be followed by Slynk, which means slide; Leska, which means swing, Diskhuda, which means discover, Omberthi, which means balance and Lemmel, which is Cornish for jump.
The play areas are being designed and built by specialist adventure play company – Creating Adventurous Places (CAP.Co).
Skrambla comprises elevated wooden huts linked by crawl tunnels and walkways all sitting within a giant seaweed stick maze. There will be a clamber net, slide, log climb, rope bridge, rope swing, balance log and beams, wonky walkway, stepping stones and a toddler swing, set in a rolling grass-covered landscape.
There will be bench seating in front of Skrambla and it will be bordered on three sides by a Cornish hedge. A community allotment is also being created. This will be run by a new community allotment association that is being formed by Nansledan residents.
Ben Murphy, Estate Director at the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “CAP.Co were selected because of their reputation for designing fun and adventurous play equipment using natural materials, designed to fit into their local context. The designs for Skrambla have a nautical theme and when we shared the drawings with local children they gave them a unanimous thumbs up. We very much look forward to Skrambla being completed and enjoyed by children across the community by Christmas.
“Outdoor play and adventure is really important for health and wellbeing and we look forward to working with the community and CAP.Co to prepare the designs of the other play spaces in 2020.”
Steve Vass from CAP.Co said: “We are delighted to be working with the Duchy of Cornwall across this site and the wider Nansledan development. Our concept is to take the fundamental actions of play and couple them with the language, culture and landscape of this part of Cornwall to offer a different experience and aesthetic in each of the individual play spaces.
“This will create something of a play trail throughout the community, encouraging residents and visitors alike to move around and explore not just the area closest to them but Nansledan as a whole. The Skrambla allows kids a chance to clamber among a tangle of giant seaweed on the sandy ocean floor providing lots of opportunity for both physical and imaginative play, whilst the sea creatures and bright colours reflected in the rustic beach hut interiors, echo the local Nansledan seaside palette”.
The new Skrambla play area in Nansledan
Nansledan is being developed on Duchy-owned land to the east of Newquay and will eventually comprise around 4,000 homes mixed with retail, offices, workshops, green spaces and a range of community facilities. It is being built by a consortium of South West building companies which includes Wainhomes, CG Fry & Son and Morrish Builders.
