Symondsbury pupils unveil plaque and play area for Coronation

Symondsbury School’s year five and six pupils visited the Symondsbury Estate near Bridport to unveil a plaque and open a new play area.

Alongside Bridport Mayor Ian Bark, they unveiled a plaque and opened the newly named Harmony Play Area which features a natural, creative space to play – including Buggingham Palace, a grand new bug house inspired by royalty.

The Harmony Play Area will be a space that reflects the King’s passion for nature, provides a place for quiet reflection and brings children closer to the natural world.

Bugginham Palace L-R, Catherine Woodward (Symondsbury Estate Brand Ambassador), Ian Bark (Bridport Mayor) and Mel Webb (Symondsbury Estate Head Gardener) (Image: Symondsbury Estate)

The children, assisted by Symondsbury Estate Head Gardener, Mel Webb, have planted three species of ornamental cherry trees to help shape the space.

The pupils have also sown native wildflower seeds in the Harmony Children’s Area, including many collected from Symondsbury Estate, such as poppies, cornflowers, viper’s bugloss, honey wort and wild rocket which not only look stunning, but also attract a wide variety of pollinators.

The plaque the children and Councillor Ian Bark unveiled is made of natural slate by local artisan, Scott Woodland. I

Its design features the official Coronation emblem which pays tribute to The King’s love of the natural world.

The Coronation plaque (Image: Symondsbury Estate)

At the unveiling ceremony, the children listened to a short talk about the importance of trees, flowers in creating a biodiverse world, and found out more about the importance of nature to King Charles III before heading on a nature walk on the Estate.

This activity adds to a growing element of collaboration between Symondsbury School and Symondsbury Estate which has seen the children participate in a fun event to find out about biodiversity in soil, with more activities planned later in the year to support the schools’ curriculum around the natural world.

Julia Colfox, co-owner of Symondsbury Estate, said: “By getting the pupils at Symondsbury Estate actively involved in creating a new biodiverse space and talking to them about the difference just one small area can make, we hope to create a lasting legacy that is not just physical but also shapes their thinking as they grow up.”

Emma Roberts, Head Teacher at Symondsbury School, said: “The children loved being involved in celebrating the King’s Coronation in this way. I’m sure we’ll often be visiting the Children’s Harmony Area with our pupils and enjoy watching the trees grow.”

Councillor Bark added: “As a former teacher I understand the importance of getting children involved in understanding the world around them at an early age. So, I’m delighted that Symondsbury School pupils are part of creating this space in nature, somewhere they can come back to time and again to enjoy the great outdoors and watch how it evolves over the years to come.”

Visitors are encouraged to visit Symondsbury Estate over the Coronation weekend, to see the new Harmony Play Area and Buggingham Palace.

On Saturday, May 6 at Symondsbury Kitchen they will be able to enjoy a Coronation Afternoon Tea featuring the official Coronation dish, spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon quiche. This can be pre-booked at symondsburyestate.co.uk/contact/symondsbury-kitchen/