The magical kingdom of Lilidorei opens its doors

The Mayor of Alnwick proved he was just a kid at heart when he attended the opening of Lilidoriei play structure at The Alnwick Garden today, the £15.5m project that is the brainchild of the Duchess of Northumberland who wanted to create a magical land filled with sights and sounds to excite the imagination.

Councillor Geoff Watson, was very impressed by what he saw saying: “Lilidori is another jewel in Alnwick’s crown and will be a major tourist attraction that will be of benefit to the whole area. It is a delight to watch youngsters having fun as they explore this hidden wonderland – and I can say that it is lots of fun for children of any age!”

The entire structure has been crafted from natural materials and everywhere is plastic free, surrounded by over 1300 Nordic Christmas trees to create a permanent forest.

The idea behind Lilidorei was to encourage children to step away from their screens and get outside to create their own narrative. With the help of the ‘Secret Keepers’, children can explore the magical world of nine clans made up of Sprites, Elves, Fairies, Pixies, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Trolls, Dwarves, and Squiffles, who all live together under the ruling of Lord Elfwin – King of Lilidorei.

The King lives in Elfwin Drin castle which stands at 26 metres tall with 170 metres of rope bridges and six slides, and is surrounded by the clans’ homes along with a gaol (for naughty elves) all of which are policed under the watchful eye of the Squiffles.

And whilst the clans of Lilidorei love to feast on an unusual diet of Hobgoblin Fingers, Troll Snot and Fairy Dust, creators of Lilidorei have adapted their culinary and flavour-diverse palate with the help of a host of local confectioners and caterers.

Each session at Lilidorei lasts 2 hours 45 minutes and guests can book one of three slots between 9am and 7pm.

Pictured Above, Mayor Councillor Geoff Watson tries out one of the slides. Below Councillors Gordon Castle, Dianne Watson, Geoff Watson and Martin Harrington at the opening.