As part of TouchWood’s 21st anniversary celebrations, we went back to visit our very first playground project at Hotwells Primary School. Located only a few minutes from our beloved woodyard in Bower Ashton, the play area is still standing strong after 21 years.
Members of our team, including TouchWood founder Joe Cooper, were delighted to meet staff from the school and receive a tour of the site.
Bottom: Hotwells Primary School Headteacher, Kee Jones, shows Joe around the play area,
November 2023
Joe explains how the playground project came about: “As this was our first project, our initial task was to source local wood to create the play area with. We connected with Dave Ridley from the Forest of Avon Woodland Group and handpicked timber from the woodland in Cleeve, chosen for its natural form and shape.
“We then organised a traditional craft workshop for the children, where they explored the natural properties of wood using pole lathes and shaving horses to build tables for the new play area.
“The installation showcased a variety of traditional craft techniques and innovative material uses, such as bamboo gutters and reclaimed mahogany from an old Bristol pier for the gate newel posts.“
The play area continues to be enjoyed by children at the school and we’re looking forward to hosting a visit to our woodyard for Year 6 students to learn about the process of designing and building playgrounds.
