Archive: Jun 2024
Since its opening 12 months ago, Lilidorei at The Alnwick Garden has attracted nearly 200,000 visitors from across the UK and overseas. This month it has been revealed that the attraction has been shortlisted for a trio of construction awards since opening.
Having already won the Judges Choice Award at the regional North East RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) Awards 2024, earlier this month, Lilidorei will progress to the prestigious national RICS UK Grand Final Awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London in the autumn.
The project also received a second nomination, for Building Project of the Year at the Constructing Excellence Awards for the North East in June. Additionally, the project received a third nomination for Best Project of the Year at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards, with the awards ceremony taking place in late June.
At 26-metres high, the timber play structure is the largest in the world, designed and constructed by playground specialists, Monstrum (Denmark).
Charlie Aviston, senior quantity surveyor at AtkinsRealis, who supported The Alnwick Garden team throughout the project, said: “We joined the Lilidorei project from the outset, committed to delivering this unique initiative while overcoming many challenges along the way. Our dedication to the project ensured that we navigated various obstacles, ultimately achieving our goal of bringing this ambitious project to life.
“The success of Lilidorei hinged on a unique team dynamic. The specialists involved not only exhibited technical excellence but also respected and supported each other’s roles, creating a culture of mutual assistance.
“The final outcome is a fantastic family facility that will be enjoyed by many communities for years to come. We are incredibly proud of what the whole team achieved in realising the Duchess’ vision to create a sustainable and magical village that inspires children from all walks of life to play.”
The £15.5m mythical play village was created with primary school children in mind by the Duchess of Northumberland to encourage them to play outside and use their imaginations to uncover the secrets of Lilidorei and the nine clans who reside there.
Mark Brassell, chief executive of The Alnwick Garden said: “After many years of planning, Lilidorei started its transformative journey in 2019, amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, and opened its doors to the public in 2023.
“The design of the play structure, Elfwin Drin, was ambitious and there was no blueprint for creating a unique experience like Lilidorei. Enlisting the expertise of our partners, including AtkinsRealis, helped us navigate the design and build phases, enabling the creation of this special and truly individual attraction.
“We feel very proud to be nominated for these awards and it is a testament to the skill of our designers, management and construction teams. We are delighted to see they have all been recognised regionally and nationally for their talents through these awards.”
Since opening its doors last May, Lilidorei has welcomed over 200,000 visitors and 3,500 primary school children with its Free School Friday initiative.
The Alnwick Garden Trust is pleased to announce that King Charles has expressed his intention to continue his patronage of the Northumberland charity. This decision comes as part of a broader review of royal patronages by Buckingham Palace, which has seen the King and other senior British royals streamline their commitments.
Despite reducing the patronages of almost 200 charities and organisations, King Charles has maintained a special connection with The Alnwick Garden, which he officially opened in 2002. His Majesty has visited the garden multiple times, with visits in 2012, 2015, and most recently in 2018. In total, over 830 organisations have been retained by King Charles and Queen Camilla or redistributed among other royal family members. The Alnwick Garden remains proudly within the King’s portfolio. During his 2018 visit, King Charles shared his admiration for Northumberland and The Alnwick Garden, stating:
“For me coming here to Northumberland, which is such a special county, all I can say is it makes me unbelievably proud just to see what you’re all doing and the way in which you help to keep this county so very special. This remarkable place and this garden, of which I’ve been a patron for quite a long time, I know this whole operation here has made a huge difference to the whole area so I also wanted to pay my compliments to the Duchess for what she does.”
Since opening, The Alnwick Garden has attracted over seven million visitors and contributed £347m towards the local economy and its onsite community programmes. It boasts the largest collection of Tai Haku cherry blossoms in the world, as well as hosting the deadliest garden – The Poison Garden, which is used to educate visitors on the dangers of plants and illegal drugs deriving from some of the plants. Each year The Garden reviews its education and social programmes to ensure the Trust fulfills its public benefit requirement and identifies any emerging issues that are facing the local community.
The vast and diverse range of community programmes reflects The Alnwick Garden’s commitment to creating a positive impact on society, providing platforms for social interaction and engaging communities from different backgrounds, including its longest running programme, The Elderberries, combating loneliness for the over 55’s and a range of specialist education and youth programmes.
Mark Brassell, Chief Executive of The Alnwick Garden, said; “His Majesty has always shown a great amount of affection for The Alnwick Garden and all of our community engagement programmes.
“It is a great honour that His Majesty will continue his patronage of The Alnwick Garden Trust and we remain grateful for his ongoing support and look forward to welcoming him back in the future.”
The world’s largest treehouse based at The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland, has revealed a new addition to its restaurant to delight beer enthusiasts. For the first time, guests at the Treehouse Restaurant can enjoy beer straight from the tap, just in time for Father’s Day. Having previously only sold select bottled beers, along with its extensive wine and cocktail list, the Treehouse restaurant has installed a new draft pump offering Spanish lager, Madri, brewed by Molson Coors, following customer feedback and demand.
Spanning over 6,000 sq ft, the award-winning eatery is marking the occasion by offering a complimentary pint of Madri and a branded glass for every dad, grandad, or father figure who dines at the restaurant on Father’s Day.On the new addition, Victoria Watson, strategic head of catering, retail and hospitality said, “We always aim to respond to customer requests.
“It is such an experience to dine in the world’s largest treehouse, so introducing new offerings adds that little bit extra for our guests. For Father’s Day, Madri on draft was the popular choice from our visitors, and we are excited to be able to move more into the draft beer offerings to continue satisfying customer needs.”
The restaurant will be serving its seasonal Sunday menu for Father’s Day using local produce, created by executive chef, Gareth Clarke.
For bookings or enquiries, please visit the website here.
