A competition encouraging local school pupils to design their own adventure playground has been won by a young pupil from Helmingham Estate, following an impressive response from schools across the county.

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After receiving more than 50 entries, Helmingham Estate selected Stonham Aspal CEVA Primary School as the overall winner, recognising the school’s creative and imaginative submissions which met the criteria for build quality and entertainment value. Noah Richards’ design, featuring a scaled model of a bird’s habitat, was chosen as the standout entry.

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Noah’s design, titled The Eagle Eye Adventure Play Area, includes a helter skelter, bird watching tower, bird’s nest basketball feature and rope bridge. It was selected by a panel of judges, including Edward Tollemache and Sophie Tollemache, custodians of Helmingham Hall and co-founders of Guildenacre.

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As the overall winner, Noah, a Year 3 pupil, and the rest of his class will be the first to experience Guildenacre before it opens to the public. The new woodland play attraction is set to launch this summer.

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Open to schools across Suffolk, the competition invited pupils to design a playground inspired by their favourite animal and its natural habitat, supporting Helmingham Estate’s aim to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers.

An exhibition showcasing selected entries will go on display in the renovated Grade II listed Wades Barn, located near the Guildenacre entrance.

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Edward said:
“We were blown away by the creativity and thought that had gone into every single entry, but we were particularly impressed by Noah's attention to detail and the build quality of his model. His entry is truly extraordinary and very inspirational, and we would be delighted to exhibit it in the barn.

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“Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge congratulations to Noah and Birch Class from Stonham Aspal Primary – we’re looking forward to welcoming you to Guildenacre very soon and sharing the magic with you.”

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Rebecca Edwards, Key Stage Two coordinator at Stonham Aspal CEVA Primary School, said:
“This competition has been an inspiring experience for all of the children involved. It gave them the opportunity to think creatively and see how their ideas can have a real impact beyond the classroom. They’ve developed valuable skills in design, communication, and problem-solving, and most importantly, a real sense of pride in their work.

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“A special congratulations goes to Noah, whose design and model of ‘The Eagle Eye Adventure Playground', won Birch Class a fantastic trip to try out the new Guildenacre Play Area, which they are very excited about.”

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Guildenacre, set within a four-acre woodland at Helmingham Estate, will be an immersive play experience featuring four themed areas designed by CAP.CO.

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Each area will be inspired by a guardian animal and its habitat, incorporating tunnels, slides, climbing walls, ground-level trails, balance beams, bridges and an adrenaline-fuelled zip line, alongside features designed for younger children.

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The project also includes a new car park, as well as refreshment and retail facilities.

Guildenacre is due to open this summer.

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For more information and to sign up for updates, visit www.guildenacre.co.uk.