A SPRAWLING garden in the UK is home to the world’s tallest play structure, and it’s reopening just in time for the half-term hols.
First announced back in 2022, Lilidorei at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland opened to the public the following year.
Lilidorei at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland first opened to the public in 2023[/caption]
The fairytale-themed garden is home to the world’s largest play structure called the Elfwin Drin[/caption]
Lilidorei is a magical village with its own fantasy lore, including nine clans of magical creatures like elves, trolls and fairies.
The magical creatures celebrate Christmas throughout the year, meaning Lilidorei always has a sprinkle of festive magic – even in the summer months.
State-of-the-art sound and lighting systems bring each of the fairytale houses to life, with visitors able to peer through windows and ring doorbells.
The sprawling 40-acre fairytale-themed land is also home to Elfwin Drin – the world’s tallest play structure.
Standing at 85ft, Elfwin Drin is taller than the Angel of the North.
The towering play structure is actually the King of Lilidorei’s castle and doubles as a huge playhouse.
It features everything from tube slides and bridges to towers and a sliding pole.
Following its winter closure, Lilidorei will reopen to visitors from Wednesday (February 19).
Tickets start from £13.20 for a full-paying adult and £11 for kids and will be open from 10am to 4pm.
Visitors have praised Lilidorei in their online reviews, with one person writing: “Lilidorei is an enchanting place that feels like a fairytale come to life.”
Following its winter closure, Lilidorei will reopen to the public on Wednesday (February 19)[/caption]
Another person wrote: “The children loved Lilidorei. While the full park itself is not huge, the wooden structure was impressive and the fairy houses so bright and imaginative”.
Lilidorei is the brainchild of Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland and founder of The Alnwick Garden, who came up with the idea of the adventure playground around 10 years ago.
She previously said: “I started realising that I wanted to do something that was better at Christmas than it was in the summer.
“It’s better at night and better in the winter months. In the summer is all about playing but in the winter, every single tree is going to light up and it will be the place to come in the UK to see Christmas”.
Construction work on The Alnwick Garden began in the 1750s, with improvement work taking place in the 1850s.
The picturesque garden fell into disrepair after the Second World War and wasn’t revived until 1996 when Jane Percy started redeveloping the site.
Nowadays, the site welcomes over 350,000 visitors each year, with the Northumberland attraction home to a host of activities, including the treehouse restaurant.
The treehouse restaurant is set high in the trees and is accessible via a rope bridge.
The Alnwick Garden was redeveloped by Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, after it fell into a state of disrepair[/caption]
The Alnwick Garden is home to a host of attractions like the Treehouse Restaurant (pictured)[/caption]
It’s decorated with twinkling lights and is home to a roaring log fire.
Another attraction at The Alnwick Garden is its 328-strong cherry orchard.
The Taihaku cherry trees normally bloom at the end of April and the beginning of May – although this timescale is weather-dependent.
The Alnwick Garden’s Blossom watch is a live webcam that potential visitors can access to see when the cherry trees are in bloom.
There’s also the infamous Poison Garden where some of the world’s most toxic plants are found.
Visitors should enter the garden at their own risk because previous guests have been known to faint – despite not being able to smell, touch or taste any of the plants.
Nearby, there’s also Alnwick Castle, which has been used as a backdrop in the Harry Potter films.
Originally built to protect the border, the castle now offers tours and events.
What is it like to visit Lilidorei?
TRAVEL writer Catherine Lofthouse visited Lilidorei with her three sons last year, here’s what she thought…
Lilidorei makes an impression from the moment you arrive and head down a winding path below the Treehouse Restaurant, which has been welcoming diners for canapés in the canopy for 20 years.
It’s is all about magic and imagination and every twist and turn of the path brings something new to marvel at.
I really enjoyed wandering past hobgoblin huts, dwarf dens and sprite sites, although I found the accompanying hubbub coming from hidden speakers slightly overwhelming at times.
As for the boys, they couldn’t wait to explore the huge 26m play structure, billed as the largest in the world, taller than the Angel of the North.
There were rope bridges to rampage along, slides to slip down, spiral staircases to scramble up and spherical cages to sit inside suspended in the sky.
And the Netherlands is home to Europe’s largest playground.
We’ve even rounded up five of the best indoor attractions for when the weather turns.
Tickets for Lilidorei start from £13.20 for a full-paying adult and £11 for kids and will be open from 10am to 4pm[/caption]
