Playscheme, a family-run company in Elvington, York, come with 24 years’ experience in creating inspiring outdoor play areas for schools, nurseries and public places. Transforming spaces all over the country, they create custom-made play schemes that are not only imaginative, but also exhilarating and educational.
Last year, with their friends at THEME3, they had the opportunity to design, build and install a Viking longboat for Warwick Castle‘s brand new Horrible Histories Maze.
In collaboration with Merlin Entertainment, who own the likes of Legoland, Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds, they built an 8 metre-long, sunken Viking longboat. However, the challenge was to complete it in 4-5 weeks, as well as making it fully removable.
Steve Danby, Managing Director said: “We were eager to take up the challenge, and although knew it was going to be hard work and lots of man hours, the inner child came out in us all and we were overjoyed with the prospect of creating something so magical!”
The Viking longboat features a fully-functional mast, dragon’s head, and hand-painted shields, as well as a huge horn and Viking skull treasure chest. What makes this piece extra special is that there is a machine hidden underneath the vessel which sends smoke out through the dragon’s mouth. This creates the surprise element of a fire-breathing mythical beast for children who enter the maze.
As well as the towering Viking longboat, Playscheme also created other elements for the Horrible Histories maze, which included four large entrance doors to each of the zones, an exit climber stack, a World War 1 trench tunnel, emergency exit doors, a sign holder for silly laws, a stamp training dummy for lancing on horse, wooden stocks, a sword and helmet holder, six bespoke underground whispering tubes that allow children to speak to each other from across the maze, and a pair of witches scales.
After the team worked relentlessly for three days straight, they were able to get the areas completed and ready for opening day. And in true Playscheme style, from conception to finished result, it was completed a week earlier than scheduled.
In a fantastic concept to portray the history of Warwick Castle, the Horrible Histories maze was billed as one of the UK’s most exciting new attractions of 2016. Adapting the well-loved children’s books by Terry Deary, the maze is a fun approach to telling the story of Warwick Castle and its inhabitants throughout the years.
With various zones from ‘The Frightful First World War’ and the ‘Slimy Stuarts’, to the ‘Vicious Vikings which incorporates Playscheme’s beautiful sunken ship; the maze gives children the opportunity to learn in an incredibly immersive way.
The future of Playscheme is looking incredibly promising, with strategies in place for growth in supplying products and a bespoke design facility for playground and theming companies like this one; with the prospect of moving into supplying international markets.
If you’re interested in chatting to Playscheme about creating a bespoke play area for you, then call them on 01904 607677 or email mail@play-scheme.co.uk. You can also visit their website at www.play-scheme.co.uk
