Daredevils will get their chance to try out a new high-ropes adventure course when it is officially opened tomorrow (Saturday 25th April).

Children from Irchester Primary School will be among the first to try out the new Jungle Parc UK adventure course being opened at Northamptonshire County Council's Irchester Country Park alongside an exciting new children's play area.

The high ropes adventure course is the first of its kind in the county, giving visitors a woodpecker's eye view of the park as they climb, balance, zip and crawl through the trees. Unlike some adventure parks, it will have two difficulty levels - adventurer and explorer, allowing children over 1.5m tall to have a go.

The course has been developed by and will be run by Jungle Parc UK who are specialists in high ropes adventure facilities.

Also opening is a new children's play area which has been designed to reflect the park's quarry theme with sand play equipment, a digger and trains as well as fencing around the outside to ensure it is a safe place for children of all ages to play. The play area has been funded by an East Midlands Development Agency grant administered by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd and forms part of a larger scheme that will also see the opening of a new cafe later in the year.

Councillor Andre Gonzalez de Savage, county council cabinet member for customers and communities said: "We are very proud to launch such an exhilarating facility in one of our award-winning country parks; the Jungle Parc UK high ropes adventure course and the new children's play area are exciting new additions to one of the oldest country parks in Britain.

"Later this year we'll also see the opening of a new cafe in the former country park shop building which is being refurbished and updated to fit with the park's ironstone heritage.

"Irchester Country Park is already a popular and busy attraction, with around 300,000 visits a year by people who enjoy the spectacular natural phenomena of the Jurassic geology that was exposed by miners looking for iron ore.

"We recognise the true value of physical activity for all and with the opening of the new adventure course and the children's play area, there will be even more for people to enjoy when they come to the park and we encourage the whole family to come and use the park and its newest facilities."

The park is being officially opened by chairman of the county council Cllr Judith Shephard this Saturday (25th April).

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