William's Den - where play, nature and nostalgia meet

Five years ago Christian and Tor Carver had an idea – to create a unique attraction. An attraction with space for children to run wild, use their imaginations, explore freely, build dens and play all day – inside and out. A place that harked back to their own childhoods – when children played outside whatever the weather, and so was born ‘William’s Den‘.

The Den is located in North Cave, East Yorkshire – perfectly situated close to the M62 and easy to find. Ru, Otto and I visited along with my mum, my sister in law and one of my nieces. Within a few minutes of arrival it was immediately obvious that William’s Den was something different.

We started off inside ‘The Den’ – an indoor play area housed inside a barn complete with treehouses, an eagle’s nest, an indoor beach, a rain maker, nets, beams and a stream. The play area is beautifully crafted from wood by skilled play experts – it’s a delight, and Rufus was soaked right through by the end of our visit. Outside the space is vast and it feels so special to look over the Yorkshire Wolds. There is a large sand area, mud kitchens, tunnels, hills, zip wires, swings, dens to build and structures to climb.

Our gang decided to eat lunch at The Kitchen Table, whilst our children enjoyed the The Foldyard (an outdoor play space dedicated to little ones). I had delicious a quinoa, feta and mint burger that came with two sides, and we ordered a couple of pizzas too. The menu is thoughtful, varied, reasonably priced and super tasty. Picnics are also welcome and there are plenty of picnic benches outdoors.

A few things to help you plan for your visit to William’s Den:

The toilets are set up for families, babies and buggies. They are spacious and most of the toilets have a mini one alongside the adult one, which is so convenient.
Babies under 12 months go free.
On arrival you and your children will be given a wristband that must be visible at all times.
The breakfast menu is available until 11:30am, and then lunch menu takes over.
Plan to stay all day at the den – bring a picnic and some friends.
All of the ice cream is made on site and it tastes delicious.
If you are just coming for food – head straight to The Kitchen Table.
The stunning outdoor tables and benches are made by a craftsman down the road.
If your children are all 12 and under, you don’t need to worry about all of them being entertained. They will all have plenty to do.
Sensible shoes are a must for everyone.
You will need to take a spare pair of clothes for your children. There is a stream inside, a rain maker and a water pump outside.
You must supervise your children closely.
Fun fact: The wood fired pizza oven can cook 150 pizzas an hour!

During our visit I couldn’t stop thinking about how much Winston would enjoy William’s Den, and I can’t wait to take him over the summer. All of us were so impressed with all the small attention to detail dotted everywhere – when things are truly done with love and care, it really shows. Christian and Tor hope that The Den will evolve, and they welcome new ideas and suggestions. Isn’t that such a great mindset to be in? If you think of something when you’re there – you must let them know.

William’s Den also satisfies the do-gooder inside of us – it uses biomass, is eco-friendly, has solar panels, uses sustainable materials and supplies are local sourced, but even more importantly your children will enjoy being there, and so will you!