An award-winning East Yorkshire children’s tourist attraction is celebrating its fifth anniversary in style as further investments are unveiled.
William’s Den, the unique family destination at North Cave, near Brough, has opened its doors again for the summer after a challenging two years brought on by the global pandemic. Brand-new attractions include a campsite, homemade ice cream parlour and beach zone.
Tor Carver, who created William’s Den with her husband Christian on their farm, told how lockdown gave them the opportunity to further develop plans to make it one of the finest family tourist destinations in the north of England. “There’s no doubt that Covid was a challenge, and gave us many sleepless nights, but with every challenge comes an opportunity. And we seized this opportunity as best we could.
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“The new attractions, together with the camping site, underline that William’s Den is an attraction for all the family, not just children. The ice cream parlour reinforces our reputation for award-winning food, while the camping site provides the opportunities for families to escape from the pressures of modern live and to enjoy our beautiful East Yorkshire countryside.”
Inspired by their son’s fifth birthday wish list of taking friends into the local woods to explore, build dens and cook food on a campfire, Tor said: “The children loved it. It was great to see the smiles on their faces, hear their shrieks of joy and just watch their imagination. It was this day which finally gave us the exciting vision of what we wanted to create. We think the best childhoods start with imagination and adventure.
“We grew up in the countryside surrounded by open spaces and the freedom to play outside in all weathers for hours on end. Our childhood years were spent endlessly running, jumping, cycling, exploring, den building and using our wild imaginations to entertain each other until it was time for bed.
“I often hear parents saying ‘We’ve had an amazing day - the only problem is my children don’t want to go home’. This makes me feel extremely emotional, and I know I’ve achieved what I set up to do. And it has led to our new camp site, which means you don’t have to leave at the end of the day.”
The jewel in the crown of William’s Den is the unique indoor playground – created by experts in play and built by skilled craftsmen who used sustainably sourced materials from woods on the estate. It incorporates a huge six-metre high ancient oak linking to a tree house, with swings, balancing pole branches, bridges, and a three-metre slide into a sandpit below; a cascading stream, pool, and rainmaker to stimulate a shower; and the Forest Glade and Eagles Rest, where children can play hide and seek.
Tor added: “We all live in stressful times and concern about mental health, not least about children’s mental health, is growing daily. We firmly believe that a day out at William’s Den, with all we have to offer, is incredibly beneficial for children both physically and mentally. Joy is such a precious and positive feeling.”
The celebrations have been capped with news that the venue had triumphed in the National Farm Attraction Network Awards - winning in the Best Food and Beverage category. “This fantastic endorsement of our food offering left us overwhelmed and very proud,” Tor said. “It was also a tremendous tribute to our loyal and hard-working staff and our brilliant suppliers. This was a team effort.”
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