The Secret of Skelf Island
I shouldn’t be telling you this. In fact, I’m sworn to silence.
With my hand on my heart I promised I’d combat a wombat, tackle a jackal and stand firm against a worm rather than tell anyone about the Secret of Skelf Island.
Legend has it that Skelves have been inhabiting a secret world over the water of Castle Howard’s Great Lake for centuries. They are said to cause mischief and mayhem high up in the trees, chat with the birds and protect wildlife.
This summer young visitors can visit Skelf Island to take part in a special tree-top adventure while learning about the North Yorkshire estate’s ecology and wildlife.
Fortified by a Tree Top Tonic of green lemonade from the Potions Cauldron I was greeted by two real(ish) Skelves: Oaken, with a music box slung over his shoulder, and the shy, elfin Rowan in fetching forest green and purple.
We were in the 1,000 green acres of Castle Howard, famed as the backdrop for film and TV versions of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, and now attracting 250,000 visitors a year.
It was here that Nick Howard, present owner and resident of the family pile _ commissioned in 1699 and in the Carlisle branch of the family for 300 years _ fished the lake as a lad.
‘As a child I used to sit and fish for pike,’ he told me. ‘Every so often I’d spin my line and it would get caught behind me. The Skelves were saying: “Oi, those fish our are friends!”
Behind that childhood fantasy the reality of a children’s adventure playground was born. I got to explore it a couple of days before its official opening in mid-July guided by Chloe, aged eight, Ellie,10, and nine year old Chloe, all members of the Skelf Council, a 30-strong body recruited from local schools to help with the £400,000 project.
‘Follow us over the wobbly rope bridge’, they encouraged, as we swayed alarmingly over a stretch of water. ‘Climb these rungs up into the trees, crawl through this tunnel to the climbing wall, run down this ramp, up that one…’
I drew the line at the zip wire (legs too long) and helter skelter chute (not appropriately dressed) and observed the sign: No age limit, only a brave limit.
Nick Howard wants to engage children with Nature in this ingenious structure of treetop nests linked by rope bridges, slides and nets in sympathy with the natural landscape. ‘Learning will go on within Nature among the birds and the trees,’ he said.
The structure was build by the award-winning Creating Adventurous Places company. Johnny Lyle, CAP.Co’s marketing head, says the project aims to challenge children to take an element of risk at a time that has seen accidents involving youngsters’ falls from trees overtaken by falls off furniture, and when self-harm injuries have risen by an incredible 270% in a decade.
‘Children are stuck in front of screens and have forgotten how to play,’ he said.
My two Chloes and Ellie have certainly not. And Ellie, who wants to be a marine biologist, also found fun in the kitchen, developing fruit smoothies to refresh the guests at the launch party with Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell.
Ellie and the other Skelf councillors have met every Friday after school for drama sessions and to work on recipes for canapés and on Skelf and Safety signs: Humans Only, Please ask your cats, dogs, hamsters, dragons and unicorns to stay outside; Well-behaved adults are allowed but they have a habit of getting lost. Please look after them; Skelves are happy without a care when they breathe deep the fresh clean air. If you don’t want to see us splutter and choke please refrain from having a smoke.’
Out of the mouths of babes…
As for my secrecy pledge, I had my fingers crossed.
- Access to Skelf Island is included in the Gardens Admission ticket, purchased on site or via the website to receive a 10% discount. For further information visit www.castlehoward.co.uk; www.skelfisland.co.uk
- Lindsey will be at BBC Countryfile Live Castle Howard at The National Trust Theatre on Saturday 17th August.
