Well shut the back door! This was definitely a happy ending (not the massage parlour kind) after yesterday’s mob Lynching. I’m still watching my back. If I go missing look for my body in Souldern. I think the locals will have raised the funds to put a hit out on me. Croughton play park cheered me right up though.
Now if you want to see what good fundraising and grants can get you then look no further than this fine specimen! It was so new (July if i’m not mistaken) I could still smell that smell you get from freshly cut timber!
Parking
It’s got a fab car park right next to it too so plenty of space. It’s through a housing estate and round a blind corner. At first I thought it was my sat nav taking the piss again and sending me into the arse end of nowhere. However I turned the corner and spied this bad boy and it was as if the rays of sun were shining down upon it.
The play area was deserted. Just how I like it! This way i can really get into it and have a play myself. There are so many good points I don’t know where to begin.
Equipment
The giant swinging rope snake (I’ve made it sound like a trouser snake sorry not my intention) I’ve seen these mythical beasts before but they’re so rare I didn’t expect to see one here. However it was! On we climbed and we rode that snake like Frankie Detorri on his Nobel steed. Elliot loved it I sat behind him to make sure he didn’t fall off. I’ve been trying to teach him common sense all his life but alas I have failed thus far….must be my bad parenting 😉
There is a zip wire here too but Elliot wasn’t fussed thank Jesus! I’d ran enough times holding him on the Somerton zip wire. He also shot past his favourite type of net swing too. I could see what he was going for. His sights were set and he was homing in on one of the……
Impressive
Most impressively brand spankingly new beasts of a structure! It’s truly magnificent. Parks these days are becoming works of art. I’d rather see a good park than a painting made from a 50 year old’s own shit smeared on a canvas (Marc Quinn in case you wanted to look it up) the designers and carpenters and everyone involved in making this beast needs a bloody medal.
The was something coming out if every orapheus! They have literally stuffed as much fun into this 1 structure I don’t think we got to do even half of it. In all fairness there were a few bits that Elliot couldn’t do alone anyway but that didn’t stop him from trying.
His favourite was climbing the ladders and rock climbing wall to the top. Then over the cargo net bridge with a lovely safety solid floor under because they’re obviously clued into skinny toddlers falling through gaps and crumbling to the ground. I applaud your neck breaking prevention! This led to the awesome yellow spiral slide (it even fit my arse down and It didn’t break!) There are 2 slide to this beast but he was only interested in the spiral one.
The structure has ladders, a swing bridge, a cargo net bridge, rock climbing wall, seating underneath, shelter and even a spiral fireman’s pole which if i’m honest ive no idea how it works but it was out of Elliots reach anyway. The park also had 4 older kids swings. Where’s the baby swing I hear you say…….
Toddler Park
Psttt over here in the toddler park!!! That’s right a mother trucking toddler park too. Within ear shot if you need to screech at the older kids while you prevent the death of your toddler ( they all have no fear stop kidding yourself otherwise) death and serious injury would be slightly more difficult (not impossible) in this park more than some or the more recent ones I’ve visited. It’s a beautiful little park absolutely perfect for smaller ones.
It’s fenced in good!! It has a mini trampoline which Elliot loved. He was trying to grab all the toys which had clearly fallen out of other kids hands into the pit below. I can imagine a tantrum or too has been shed there as the parents tried in a futile attempt to dislocate all their fingers to make their hand small enough just to slip through the gaps and retrieve the toy that was lay mocking them from below.
More equipment
It has a nice roundabout with pretty good seats to stop them slipping off at full speed into the window of the local preschool next door, baby swings, a lovely easily climbable timber climbing frame with a slide and a small rock climbing wall. It has another metal smaller climbing frame for even smaller kids so when they fall off its not a big drop that has little fireman’s poles and a little slide too. Another rope net swing just for the little ones and some springy face twatters.
The toddlers area had the lovely soft rubber matting and the older kids area has some new runner honeycomb Matting.
Next to the play areas you have a huge football/basketball/cricket/ tennis cage (with actual tennis nets that can be used and put away again when not in use. It doesn’t end there oh no. On the other side of the car park you’ve got a hugeeeeee field to run around in, picnic in, fly a kite in anything really.
Croughton play park stats:
Distance from Bicester: 20 mins
Sat nav: Brackley NN13 5ND Click address to load navigation.
Wheelchair friendly: yes
Equipment upkeep: 10/10
Cleanliness: 10/10
Facilities: I didn’t have time to look for toilets or shops etc so I’m not going to score yet
Age range: All ages
Safety: 9/10
Fun factor: 10/10
Dog friendly: No dogs are allowed in the park or on the playing fields.
Also just been informed about the village centre having a pub, sandwich shop and other facilities. Well worth further investigations!
Another Edit information from the comments…
“This place is ace and just across the street down a small path (2 mins walk) is a fab tea room (Croughton Reading room) that’s very child friendly!”
Conclusion
This park has really gone up there in my top 10 its a definite destination park. Which I’m not surprised for a park which cost £130k! Do make the journey you won’t be disappointed there is so much to do i don’t have anything bad to say about this park. Everyone involved in making this park should be proud. This is a park i’d be proud to have in my village. If only we could swap it with Garth park!
