Our First Visit to Godshill's New Playground

Godshill's new playground opened in 2024

​We have worked our way round most of the Isle of Wight’s playgrounds over the years. I have approached this with such an intense level of scrutiny that I could confidently chair the Island branch of a government inspectorate called Ofstop (Office for Standards in Outdoor Playgrounds).

Our most recent inspection was the new playground in Godshill. The village did already have a small playground, but this new addition was heroically created with the aim of offering the Island’s first wheelchair-accessible swing. Credit goes to a local resident called Nikki Collinson-Phenix who led the campaign to make it happen, and to the donors who gave money.

Google Maps initially took us to the old playground, but we promptly redirected ourselves to the new site. This was one of those situations where I knew in my heart that the satnav was sending us to the wrong place but I still blindly followed it and didn’t trust my own intuition. With this approach, I fear that my final words on earth will be "well, the satnav seems pretty confident that it's just over that steep drop up ahead".

To find the new playground, you need to park in the large (and free!) car park next to the Old Smithy and opposite The Griffin pub.

There is then a short bit of footpath that leads through to a playing field called Central Mead.

The children gave their immediate approval and I volunteered to test out the equipment whilst Mrs Guru ‘watched the bags’.

There are two playgrounds, one for the under fives and one for the over-fives and enthusiastic dads. It’s all very nicely done and has musical things to hit, a couple of slides, swings and a zip wire. 

After my first whoosh down the zip wire, my phone rang. My mum had also turned up at the wrong playground.

I was reassured to see that it wasn’t just me that had blindly followed the Satnav.

Godshill has the Island's first wheelchair accessible swing

I wasn't allowed in the under five's section, but I peered over the fence