Gosford Forest Adventure Trail, Northern Ireland

In 2019, Davies White Ltd were commissioned to develop a new Masterplan for Gosford Forest Park; one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic woodland destinations. A key recommendation was to introduce a flagship nature play trail to attract more families and reconnect children with the forest's unique landscape. We were subsequently appointed to design and project manage the play trail’s delivery, ensuring it aligned with the Masterplan’s vision for sustainable, inclusive, and engaging outdoor experiences.

Since opening in 2020, the trail has transformed Gosford Forest into a family-focused destination while maintaining its wild, natural character. The project exemplifies the ambitions of the wider Masterplan: enhancing biodiversity, supporting wellbeing, and creating spaces that invite exploration, learning, and connection with nature.

In 2021 it won a Design Excellence Award and Design & Contractor Collaboration Award at the BALI National Landscape Awards.

Completed:  2021 Client: Recreation Northern Ireland  Budget:  £1m 

We led a creative co-design process with local schools and community groups, running hands-on workshops involving model-making, storytelling, and nature-based activities. Children’s ideas directly inspired playful features such as the giant, a double zip line castle, tree house climbing structures, woodland rope trails, and nature detective features to discover along the way. The result is a play trail inspired by the unique heritage and history while also being  rooted to ecology and nature.