A UNIQUE play area, built out of natural materials on a heathland setting, has opened at a national park centre, ahead of it hosting a range of summer holiday activities and a free festival.

The area at the Sutton Bank centre, near Thirsk, includes tree houses, a sandpit, a mud kitchen, a swamp and dens.

It has been designed to reflect the park’s 26 miles of coastline, two national nature reserves, 840 scheduled monuments and more than 3,000 listed buildings, with stone features reminiscent of roundhouses.

It has been unveiled as the centre prepares to stage Moorfest on Sunday, from 11am to 4pm, in which visitors will be able to take part in activities run by English Companions, a society which studies Anglo Saxon heritage.

There will be displays, artefacts, bee charms and recipes with children’s activities including colouring, shield making, bead bracelets, dressing up Anglo Saxon-style and opportunities to test bushcraft skills.

Members of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team and the park’s ranger patrol will be on hand.

Children’s crafts, minibeast madness, treasure hunts and demonstrations are some of the activities taking place on Sundays and Tuesdays in August. For details, visit northyorkmoors.org.uk