FAMILIES made the most of the relaxation of lockdown rules to explore a new £25,000 adventure playground in the grounds of an historic country house.

The Tumblestone Hollow adventure playground, at Stonor Park, in the Chilterns near Nettlebed, took 18 months to complete and was unveiled to the public over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

In keeping with social distancing rules, a limited number of tickets were sold in advance and sold out instantly.

As well as the large wooden playground, there was an Easter trail, takeaway food and drinks and an opportunity to discover the park’s stone circle, woodland and steep, hilly grounds.

The house is owned by the Stonor family – who have lived in the secluded valley for more than 800 years,

William Stonor, son of the present Lord Camoys, Thomas Stonor, said he was delighted to welcome people back to the park to experience the new attraction.

He said: “Tumblestone Hollow has been nearly 18 months in the making. However, with the onset of coronavirus, lockdowns, and the effect this has had on children, it became evident to us that outdoor spaces like this are needed more than ever.

“We decided to focus on providing families and children with something truly magical and exceptional, somewhere they would feel free to explore, discover nature and enjoy safe, outdoor play.

“When so many children and adults have had little or no access to big, open spaces or recreation, our hope was that these wonderful new areas at Stonor will give families the perfect chance to get out and about together.”

*** FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE ***.A family reunite this Easter at Stonor Park in Oxfordshire..Happy families as Stonor Park in Oxfordshire provides the backdrop for three generations to reunite for the first time since Christmas...Tumblestone Hollow in

*** FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE ***.A family reunite this Easter at Stonor Park in Oxfordshire..Happy families as Stonor Park in Oxfordshire provides the backdrop for three generations to reunite for the first time since Christmas...Tumblestone Hollow in

Among those enjoying the fun was Edward Rogers from Oxford, who was visiting with his two children after reading about the playground in the Oxford Mail.

He said: “I have to admit I had never been to Stonor before, but the new playground sounded like a perfect trip out – especially at this time where there’s hardly anything open.

“It is great fun and the kids loved it. The whole place is extremely beautiful.”

The playground is open every day from 10am to 5pm and can be accessed separately to the house and gardens. All tickets must be pre-booked via the website, stonor.com which allow access to the playground for up to three hours.