Children's Pirate Ship Play Area
Our beloved children's pirate ship had been cherished for many years but it's now had a much needed makeover
At the end of 2021 we announced that the much loved children's pirate ship and play area had to close with immediate effect as it was in need of a complete renovation to comply with safety standards. Come spring 2022, we are thrilled to open our new and improved play area complete with bespoke, handmade pirate ship in honour of its predecessor!
We have tried to recreate the look and feel of the previous ship but we've also managed to incorporate a climbing wall and slide as part of the design. There is a large rope swing for several children and spring rocking animals. We have included some much needed seating for the adults when supervising the little ones and we hope to add grass to the back of the play area which will be perfect for picnics in the summer.
Driving up to the entrance of Knoll House, the pirate ship is the first thing you see and it was like this for nearly 70 years previously. There have been many generations of children who have enjoyed using the playground, making wonderful childhood memories. Therefore it was important to us that we created something just as iconic as the pirate ship is part of our hotel history. Before the original play area was dismantled we asked our social media followers and past guests about some of these treasured memories they made and we thought we'd share a few of these below. We wonder if the old photo in the gallery might well be from one of these guests!
“Lots of fantastic memories with my grandchildren, I am so pleased it is being replaced for future generations.”
“My first real experience of high octane extreme sports was walking that plank between the forward and the aft! I wonder how many people have experienced the joy of that pirate ship. Remarkable and brilliant that it lasted so long. It was the best of places to grow up. Shiver me timbers!”
“Happy memories of playing on the pirate ship 40+ years ago with holiday friends”
“Many fond memories of being pushed on the tyre swing before breakfast. An iconic part of Knoll House!”
“I played there as a child, and then I watched my children pretend they were sailing the high seas! It must be replaced with something as brilliant!”
