Witney News - New horizons and fresh views from Cogges Castle tower!

New horizons and fresh views from Cogges Castle tower!

Adventure Play opens at Cogges Manor Farm
for the May Bank Holiday Weekend

Climb the tower of Cogges Castle and see Cogges as never before, for the May Bank Holiday weekend beginning on Saturday 4th May!

Over recent weeks, visitors have watched with excitement as the play equipment structure has dramatically risen up from the ancient Norman site in the form of a towering timber barn on wooden stilts. Built on the site of the original manor house, it stands next to the moat and islands which would have originally provided natural defenses to the people living there.

Those brave enough to climb to the top can enjoy spectacular views of the grounds and local area. Children can play at being lord and lady of the manor and swing, climb and slide on two huge slides, a climbing frame, monkey bars and zip wire. The equipment is complimented by a nature trail across the islands where children can make dens, balance on logs, clamber over trees, see Cotswold sheep in the field and look for badger setts, wild ducks, squirrels and bats.

Director, Colin Shone says “The play equipment around the moat is central to bringing the stories of Cogges to life. The first Manor House was here, by the Windrush, and we would like people to visit this historically fascinating part of the site and see it in a new light and to have fun whilst they are there.”

May Bank Holiday and Half Term activities:

On Bank Holiday Monday 6th May there will be cooking in the manor house, Treasure Hunts and the Witney Music Festival afternoon in the Wheat Barn 12-5pm.

For May half-term families can visit the Kids Cooking club in the Victorian kitchen, meet lambs Florence and Fern and see the newly hatched spring chicks as well as Ali the Shetland pony, Pygmy goats and Oxford Sandy and Black pigs Pickle and Pumpkin.
Tours of the Manor House every Friday 11am.

For more information: www.cogges.org.uk or email [email protected] or call 01993 772602
Cogges Manor Farm, Church Lane, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 3LA