The Adventure Play Fair at Thursford

Step right up and into a world of wonder! At Thursford, our brief was to create a magical realm that excites the imagination, sparks curiosity, and invites families to play and explore together. It needed to capture a sense of timeless enchantment, encouraging visitors to step back in time while discovering something entirely new.

We wanted to create something that enabled the visitor to discover the magic of the fairground like never before, reimagining classic rides and attractions, constructed from timber, with vintage fairground colours and classic detailing. Rides connected with high-level walkways, bridges and tunnels, across multiple levels, to create challenge, surprise, and discovery, evoking remembered childhoods while inspiring new ones.

With such a strong evocative concept and theme, the ideas flowed: a giant Ferris Wheel concealing internal climbing routes, multiple slide escape routes at different levels, offering a range of challenges, topped off with a dramatic drop slide launching from within the uppermost Ferris Wheel cabin. A classically styled Helter Skelter at the centre of the site, with an internal clamber route leading up to the highest lookout deck and the launch deck of a spiralling tube slide back to the ground. From teacup roundabouts, to vintage steam engines powering the fun fair - the concept development began to transform our vision into a world of play and wonder, one that aimed to enrich the already iconic Thursford experience - melding outdoor immersive play with the prestige and theatrical spectacle of their celebrated Christmas Spectacular.

The design process

From the earliest sketches, the Vintage Fairground theme set the tone. Big ideas like the Ferris Wheel, Helter Skelter, Carousel and classic fairground stalls quickly established the character and atmosphere of the site.

As the design evolved, it became about how these elements connected - how people would move through the space, how scale and sightlines would work, and how to balance breathing space around the structures while still creating an immersive, all-encompassing experience. The Playfountain Splash Pad was integrated early into the process - the first of its kind in a UK park with 100 programmable water jets creating playful patterns in time with music, even down to a control box which we themed as an old Victorian organ.

Other layers added energy and alternative play experience, like a winding dodgems-inspired Kart Track, weaving in and out of the play structures. Alongside bespoke interactive fairground-inspired sensory play panels throughout play structures.

To unify everything, we developed a surfacing strategy. Far more than a safety measure, it became a design tool—using colours, textures and patterns to guide movement, enrich play, and reinforce the bold colours and aesthetics across the site.

The CGI's then made the ideas become a near reality. You could begin to visualise how the play would come to life with the colours and the sounds of a Victorian steam-powered fun fair and reminiscent of Nottingham's famous Goose Fair.

Background

Situated in the small village of Thursford in North Norfolk, this much-loved attraction is home to the world-famous Christmas spectacular, Santa’s magical journey and the year-round steam engine and organ museum, hosting the largest collection of its kind anywhere in the world!

While the renowned Christmas shows draw the majority of visitors, our role was to help Thursford build on that success and create an attraction with the same appeal year-round.

The Thursford Christmas Spectacular was founded in the late 1970s by John Cushing, the son of steam engine pioneer George Cushing who had been instrumental in putting Thursford on the map. In the late 1970s, 600 attendees gathered for a carol concert and numbers for what is now known as the Christmas Spectacular has increased ever since. Both John and George had been enchanted by the idea of a fair being held in the village, especially George who had grown up when Thursford was still a remote place and the only music to be heard came from the local church. For most villagers the only method of travel was by walking, or in rare cases cycling, and the bustling city of Norwich was generally inaccessible at the time

You can see more and book tickets here.