Our new interactive park – Twain Road Park on Twain Road in Windermere has become a favourite destination point for residents of all ages seeking to explore.
According to Landscape Architect Chris Chung from GbLA the design follows the overall Windermere master planning vision, focused on offering a unique sensory and playful experience through engagement with nature.
“This calm space is designed for residents of all abilities to seek wellness, connection and play. There are a diverse collection of native plants and evergreen trees including Spotted Gum, Yellow Box and Native Frangipani to provide a green backdrop and shading once established. Deciduous trees such as Lipstick, Maple, Maidenhair and Green Vase Japanese Elm will add colour as the seasons change.”
Five key design features have been enthusiastically embraced by the community:
- Reflexology walk – a pebble reflexology path encourages barefoot walking on natural pebbles with different sizes and textures. When pressure is felt in the foot this corresponds with organs and zones within the body.
- Musical instruments – a diverse selection including xylophone, drum sets, diatonic tembos and tubular bells have been installed to encourage social play and intergenerational interactions.
- Kinetic play – this space is equipped with traditional and bespoke play elements such as an embankment roller slide, net twister, spring unit and rope swing to encourage physical play and development.
- Water play – designed with nature play settings, a water pump pours onto a small winding creek with a river rock bed to mimic a natural stream.
- Fragrant plantings – the planting palette includes a variety of species with pleasant scent and colourful blossoms such as Lemon Scented Gum, Creeping Rosemary, Hummingbird Mint and French Lavender for sensory stimulation.
An undercover area, bespoke seat benches and multi-purpose lawn area also contribute to the outdoor environment for residents and visitors to use.
According to Chris parks are important elements in a masterplan as they provide numerous benefits to both individuals and communities.
“They offer spaces for residents to engage in various recreational activities like walking, jogging, cycling, picnicking and playing sport. These activities promote physical health, mental well-being and social interaction. Spending time in parks has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.”
“Access to parks and green spaces enhances the overall quality of life for residents, providing a sense of escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life and an opportunity to connect with nature,” he added.
Twain Road Park is an important green node within Windermere’s local park network. There will be continuous shared paths across the network that greatly enhance connectivity to all future parks in the estate and waterway corridor.
