JOINS THE FAMILY ON AN ADVENTURE-PACKED TRIP TO EAST ANGLIA
FIONA WHITTY
“WE have hundreds of people trying to beat it,’’ grins our instructor Ryan. “But no one’s ever done it.”
He’s talking about the fastest recorded time for the Army-style assault course I’m about to unleash my 15-year-old son Freddie and his friend on – The Playground, an outdoor fitness and adventure centre near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
The gruelling 1,100-yard trial in the village of Barrow encompasses 30 obstacles and the quickest time it’s been completed in is five minutes, 18 seconds.
If anyone trounces that time, they’ll get a £100 reward. Freddie’s eyes light up at the possibility of beating his mate Archie, clinching a record AND bagging a few quid all at the same time.
But the task ahead is tough. The course was designed by owner Nick Smith, along with brother Phil. Unsurprisingly perhaps, Nick, a former RAF Regiment gunner and Ironman athlete, is the current record holder. Challenges include a 15ft vertical net, a thigh-high muddy ditch, monkey bars, a 10ft wall, a rope climb and an 82ft-long net to scramble under.
When Freddie and Archie arrive for a pay-and-play session, Nick and Ryan lead them through each obstacle before setting them off on the crucial timed run.
Down slippery slopes they go, up and over barriers, in and out of tyres and through muddy water. They emerge exhausted to ring the end bell more or less at the same time… eight minutes or so later.
It’s not fast enough to secure them the cash but it’s a sterling first-time effort and deserving of a slap-up meal that evening at The Weeping Willow, a nearby pub.
We were staying there in one of their seven newly launched lodges, built in a pretty meadow directly behind (adult £21, child £13, theplaygrounduk.com, theweepingwillow.co.uk for lodge information).
My partner Tim had come along too and our lodge turned out to be perfect for the four of us – with a large main bedroom for us and a smaller one with bunk beds ideal for the boys.
A roomy bathroom with walk-in shower, an Illy coffee-pod machine, and bifold doors overlooking fields topped it off. Having the pub on the doorstep was another perk. Dating back to the 16th century, the pub cleverly mixes tradition with modern flair,
The Weeping Willow featuring high-backed armchairs, beams and an inglenook fireplace alongside electric blue sofas and candy-pink upholstery.
A rear extension with floor-toceiling glass provided views over a well-kept garden. However it was the menu that really captivated.
Starters of whipped feta with pumpkin, charred radicchio and blood orange dressing, plus a locally made Scotch egg and sourdough, tasted as good as they
(L-r) Freddie, Fiona and Archie in the saddle at the Ickworth Estate sounded. For mains we tried out the kitchen’s speciality – food cooked over silver birch wood on a Mibrasa grill.
The boys’ flat-iron steaks were perfect – medium-done, beautifully succulent with pink insides – while my grilled chicken, served with crispy Suffolk prosciutto, a poached egg and salad, was divine.
After a couple of desserts – the sourdough and orange treacle tart was heavenly – we were ready to slope off to our deep mattresses.
The next day we went over to the National Trust’s Ickworth Estate in Bury to hire bikes. They have two well-signposted cycle routes – one was 5.6 miles long, the other half that distance.
We tried both and found ourselves peddling through woods and fields of sheep, stopping off along the way to sit alongside the River Linnet.
It took us a world away from life’s stresses (bike hire £6 for two hours, nationaltrust.org.uk).
To recover we visited Shuffle Board Game Café, a novel hangout in Bury. For a small hourly fee, you can delve into any of their 500-plus board games.
The staff there really know their stuff – between them they’ve played every one – and will make suggestions. Even better, they’ll teach you the rules so you can ditch the boring bit of reading instructions.
We tried a quick game called