A MUSEUM has opened a new park in time for a national celebration of play.

The play area at Killhope: the North of England Lead Mining Museum in Weardale, County Durham, has large wooden equipment to encourage children to climb and explore and baskets, pulleys and chutes to help them understand how some of the original mining mechanisms worked.

It has been created as part of the Rediscover Killhope development project, funded by a £428,000 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Museum manager Mike Boase said: “The play area is intended to be fun and exciting but it also offers a fantastic hands-on opportunity to learn as well.

“Children are encouraged to use gravel to discover how the pulleys and chutes work.

"Then, as they work their way around the museum, they’ll find out how this same equipment was used during the lead mining process.

“We’re thrilled with how it’s turned out and our younger visitors are already enjoying it.”

Families are invited to take children along to the site on National Play Day on Wednesday, August 5 when it hosts other fun and games.

Activities will include a river beast hunt, archery, storytelling, a play bus, sand pit, teacup ride, the traditional Victorian game of bat the rat and crafts.

Admission is free for all children who are accompanied by a paying adult.