New owners plan massive play investment at top Lancashire family attraction
The farm attraction was acquired by new owners in May.
One of Lancashire’s leading family attractions has announced huge new play plans.
Bosses at Farmer Ted’s in Flatmans Lane, Downholland, Ormskirk, want permission to redevelopment their existing "Shaun the Sheep" themed play area with new themed timber and netting outdoor play structures, a bounce pillow and associated landscaping and infrastructure.
What’s planned?
Plans submitted to West Lancashire Borough Council (WLBC) show that the proposed new development is based on a fortress and sorcerer theme.
The principal elements of the proposals comprise:
• Main Play Village Zone: A central two-storey timber tower, connected by timber and rope walkways to four smaller satellite play huts/towers, incorporating slides and associated play features.
• Tower Fortress Zone: Three timber towers interconnected by timber and rope walkways, providing a further themed play experience.
• Sorcerer’s House and Role Play Zone: Four timber huts incorporating a series of low-level timber obstacles and role-play features.
• Mining Village and Water Play Zone: Three interconnected timber towers, four play huts and a timber play structure arranged around a shallow water feature running through the zone.
The proposals also incorporate a Bounce Pillow as a central feature, together with a Willow Walkway and associated hard and soft landscaping.
A planning statement to WLBC says the proposed redevelopment will “enable Farmer Ted’s to modernise and improve as an existing attraction and community facility without requiring the expansion of the established leisure use into undeveloped parts of the countryside.”
It adds: “As with any established visitor attraction, the continued success and viability of Farmer Ted’s depend upon its ability to evolve and respond to changing visitor expectations. The regular renewal and introduction of attractions is important in maintaining visitor numbers, encouraging repeat visits and ensuring that the attraction remains competitive within the wider family leisure and tourism market.
“Farmer Ted’s new owners have therefore identified the introduction of a new themed play area, replacing the existing outdated play equipment and Shaun the Sheep theme, as an important investment in the continued enhancement and longterm viability of the attraction.”
New owners
Farmer Ted’s Farm Park was opened in 2003 by Mark Edwards, who was born and raised on the farm. Facing massive shifts in agriculture, he embraced the philosophy to "diversify or die", and transformed the agricultural land into a family visitor attraction aimed at children. Currently, the attraction draws in approximately 90,000 visitors per year and employs 58 members of staff. It also offers seasonal attractions on the site also including a Maize Maze, Pumpkin Festival, Farmageddon and and Farmer Christmas.
In May, the The Escapade Group, which runs Hobbledown in Epsom, Surrey and Hobbledown Heath in Hounslow, London acquired Farmer Ted's Adventure Farm to expand its footprint in the North West.
At the time, Nick de Candole and Richard Farley, founders of The Escapade Group, said: “From the moment we visited, we knew this was somewhere we wanted to be part of. It’s packed with character, offers a genuinely brilliant day out for families and has created something really unique. Farmer Ted’s represents everything we love about the attractions industry: imagination, escapism and creating memorable days out. We’re hugely excited about what comes next.”
Mark and Diane Edwards, founders of Farmer Ted’s, said: “Joining The Escapade Group is a really exciting next step for Farmer Ted’s. They really understand what makes a great family attraction, and there’s a genuine passion for creating experiences that guests want to come back to again and again. We’d also like to thank our incredible team who have been part of Farmer Ted’s journey over the past 23 years and helped make it what it is today. We’re excited for Farmer Ted’s and the amazing people behind it to become part of The Escapade Group, and we truly believe there’s an exciting future ahead as the attraction continues to grow and evolve.”
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