Walk Tall In Stoke Park As Wild Wood Adventure Gets Further Nod From Council

Published on: 12 Sep, 2013
Updated on: 12 Sep, 2013

It won’t be long before people will be able to walk high up in the trees of Stoke Park.

Within a tree-top course there will be a climbing wall, zip lines, a 15 metre ‘walk the plank’ aerial descender, and a high ropes course.

At the latest meeting of its Executive, Guildford Borough Council endorsed a further £171,000 investment to provide a reception building and overflow car park at what will be called Wild Wood Adventure in Peacock Wood.

Peacock Wood in Stoke Park.

Cllr Matt Furniss, Lead Councillor for Environment, said: “We plan to use the additional funding to provide a purpose-built reception, storage and staff area, public toilets and improved parking. These facilities will benefit all users of Stoke Park and help develop one of the leading aerial adventure courses in the region.”

“We are working with Craggy Island [a business that operates indoor climbing centre in Guildford and Sutton] to develop the project. The council’s total investment will be £321,000. Craggy Island will build the course at a cost of £420,000.

Rob Mitchell, director at Craggy Island, added: “The Wild Wood Adventure project has just got wilder! We spent the summer redesigning and tweaking the course.”

The course will not be free to users.

Cllr Furniss said that Wild Wood Adventure is set to provide an income of £1 million to the council over the 25-year lease. It will also offer new jobs for local people and encourage visitors to enjoy the whole of Stoke Park.

Peacock Wood will remain open for users of the park. The trees will be protected and a woodland maintenance programme will help improve the biodiversity of the area.

The council will consider the additional funding at a meeting on Thursday, October 10. The additional facilities are subject to planning approval.