Your Local Link’s MD, Gini Guttery, took four of her grandkids to William’s Den to put it to the test.
“I want to work here” – Jacob, age 6
“It’s well cool” – Jessica, age 13
With four grandchildren to entertain aged between six and thirteen, finding something to do that’s suitable for all, not requiring a month’s wage to finance and not wanting to be subjected to the usual noisy ‘play barn’ experience we decided to try William’s Den near Market Weighton.
Just under an hour’s drive away from Haxby, friends had highly recommended a visit. We followed the directions from their website which were spot on.
First impression? Very neat, tidy, spacious and with wide, staggered parking spaces made for 4×4’s, very well thought out.
Play synopsis
The setting near the Wolds with far-reaching green country views set the scene for a natural play experience that all our grandkids loved, even our 13 year old who is usually addicted to Instagram and determined not to have a hair or spot of make-up out of place, was soon giggling on the zip line as if an uninhibited child.
This is an upmarket play barn but without the upmarket price. For two adults and 4 children it was £39 entry, which for a weekend we thought was great value given that we had to drag them away after five hours. They all would have stayed longer, much longer.
The main inside play area, full of net walkways, fireman’s poles, running water, sand play pits, tunnels, slides and obstacles of all sorts were all made from wood. This cleverly seemed to absorb the noise of all the happy, fun-filled children (and adults too) that filled the space. A much more comfortable experience for us grumpy grandparents, believe me.
With ample seating for tired legs (but why you would want to sit and watch when adults are encouraged to accompany their kids), it has been very thoughtfully arranged. A handy snack bar means no leaving your charges while keeping them hydrated and you suitably cappuccino’d up.
The same terrific attention to detail applied to the huge outdoor play area. Feeling even bigger than it was because of the lovely views on three sides, the setting is breath-taking.
Full of interesting den making areas, zip lines, sand play, swings and wooden play materials we didn’t get round all that was available. You could easily spend a day here, and plenty of people do by the sounds of it, and not get bored.
Even though it was very busy, there was plenty of room for everyone with loads of space and seating between sections to accommodate.
Refueling
You can bring your own picnic, but we headed to the large restaurant as a treat. And what a treat it was. The quality and presentation of the food was outstanding, worthy of a top York eater. You could watch your very own pizza being made in their onsite pizza oven or indulge in one of their mouth-watering specials.
The kids menu was very well thought out, all the food was homemade. The coleslaw freshly prepared, fish fingers made on site, burgers that could rival the best burger bar, and plenty of it too. I watched some adult meals go past our table and decided on the kids menu as the portions looked huge….and very reasonably priced.
You can often tell the quality of a place by its toilets. Well thought out with double loos for parents and kids, one adult height, the other kids height and again, big, many of them and very clean. No bashing your back on ill-fitting doors or worrying that your child will get locked in as you are there with them. It’s the small things that can let a place down but William’s Den has it covered.
Our verdict? 5 stars because of its great value
Super attention to detail
Natural play areas
Refreshing, contemporary design
Neat, tidy and spacious
Great staff, plenty of them and so helpful
Exceptional food
Clean and spacious toilets
Great Ice cream bar!
Would we go back? Without a doubt.
Find out more here.
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