If you go down to the park next week you’re sure of a big surprise!

You won’t find only teddy bears at Cliffe Castle on Tuesday, but a brand spanking new playground.

The £115,000-plus play area will be officially opened during the park’s annual teddy bears’ picnic.

Children of all ages will be able to explore a wide range of new equipment on the long-awaited development.

There are crawl tunnels, a wooden train and ship in a sand pit, a tower with a tube slide and a climbing wall.

Youngsters can also try the scramble nets, wheelchair-accessible roundabout, swings and musical play panels.

The playground is cut into the hillside where the peacocks and hens used to be kept, below the old play area.

Stone boulders provide seating and climbing challenges, and the surrounding area has been landscaped to complement the existing park.

The new playground is funded with £65,000 from the Yorventure Landfill Communities Fund and £50,000 from Wren Landfill Communities.

The money was secured by Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group, with support from Bradford Council, and the play area was designed through consultation with local children.

A Conservation Group spokesman said: “Many people have reminisced about the fun they had in the park in the past.

“This new play area will draw the current generation of families in and establish a lasting affection for this historic park.”

The play area’s official opening at 12.30pm – by Keighley mayor Councillor Sally Walker – forms part of the annual Picnic in the Park.

The Conservation Group has organised a range of teddy bear-themed activities from 11am to 3pm.

Several activities are inside Cliffe Castle Museum, which reopens on Saturday following more than a year of refurbishment work (see page 24).

Inside the building, youngsters can search for teddy bears and follow the Tea Party Family Trail from 11am to 3pm.

On the terraces outside will be the picnic, along with stories, rhymes, face painting, a tombola, balloon modelling and name-the-bear competition.

E-mail cliffecastlepark.org.uk or call 01535 618212 for details.