playscape projects

Location:
Hornchurch Country Park
Havering
London

Date of installation: 2010

Spitfire Lands Again at Hornchurch Country Park!

Hornchurch Country Park is steeped in RAF history from World War I and II and Wicksteed reflected this history in their design when they rejuvenated the playscape.

During the First World War an airfield was created at Suttons Farm, from which bi-planes of the Royal Flying Corps took off to defend London from airship attacks.  RAF Hornchurch was later developed, covering most of the Country Park we see today.  During the Second World War, the squadrons of Spitfires based there played an important role in the Battle of Britain. 

The pièce de résistance of the new play area is a bespoke half size Spitfire made of rock for climbing on.  The Spitfire Rockscape, tilted and emerging from clouds, was created on-site using a revolutionary new building technique designed by British mountaineers, based upon considerable climbing experience.  The shape of the spitfire was designed at Wicksteed, from which a scale model was sculpted.  The full-size polystyrene form was then transported and positioned on site.  It was then reinforced with a steel mesh before being sprayed on-site with colour-impregnated concrete to a depth of 150mm.  Hand carved foot and hand holds were then added during this process. 

Following on the flying theme, Wicksteed also provided Propeller shaped seating.

With an emphasis on natural and textural play, the area has been transformed with creative natural landscaping to include mounds, tunnels, sand, boulders, logs, pathways from natural stone and shrubs and trees.  Safety grass has been used around the equipment with sky blue rubber wet pour at the base of the Spitfire.

The play area is inclusive to all ages and abililties, with a range of challenging play equipment for both younger and older children including a double-width slide installed into natural mounding, Hurricane swing, Pendulum swing, Revolver wheelchair-accessible roundabout, the exhilarating G-force roundabout, Combat Cableway zip-wire and Black Beard's Ladder Netscape!