Playing Field

The Playing Field is Bucklesham’s most important asset. The field Trustees are the Bucklesham Parish Council, who are also the Management Committee. We are very fortunate to have the services of David Riddleston as our volunteer Playing Field Manager. The Parish Council pay external contractors for the grass cutting and for the Play Equipment maintenance. The Parish Council are responsible for all the costs on the field including insurance and maintenance, and this is paid for in its entirety by Bucklesham residents from the precept through villager's Council Tax contributions.  

There is a large football pitch with full sized goals and nets. We just ask you share the space and respect the area. 

We also have two concrete table tennis tables for when it's not too windy - don't forget to bring your own bats and balls. These were added to the Field in 2020 and have proved very popular with many residents. You just need someone to keep score!

 

We have an extensive children’s play area with many swings, obstacle courses, cone spinner, mini boat, roundabout, see-saw, and a massive climbing frame. There is also a smaller climber for toddlers and springy rockers too. We are proud to have included many sensory items for children with additional needs.

The new play equipment was installed in 2026 and you can read all about the Renewal of Play Equipment Project and how we achieved so much in just 12 months. 

We could immediately see the need to update the equipment and agreed to go ahead with an exciting Play Equipment Replacement Project, working in conjunction with Bucklesham Community Council and residents. To read all about how we did it please see our New Play Equipment Project Updates.

We have five large picnic benches seating up to eight people each, and park benches along the boundary.   

Working with the Woodland Trust and the Sicon foundation we planted a 'Woodland Walkway' in 2021. We have over 100 native trees including Rowan, Ash, Oak and Elm, and some apple, pear and plum trees.

Residents are welcome to pick the fruit from the trees and the blackberries from the hedgerows - but please don't pick more than you can eat and please leave some for others .

We also installed two Chat Benches donated by East Suffolk Council's Felixstowe Peninsular Community Partnership. We hope that all residents make use of the benches and sit for a while and enjoy the beautiful countryside we share with all Bucklesham wildlife. 

You are likely to see buzzards, kestrels, sparrowhawks, red kites, foxes, rabbits & hares, muntjacs and red deer. 

There are also many species of wildflowers such as poppies, buttercups, cornflowers, knap weed and clover. A large amount of ivy has been allowed to grow undisturbed on the poplar trees which provides a habitat for rare moths.

Log piles have been made to encourage a range of wildlife including moss, fungi, insects and other invertebrates. They also attract a range of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and all the birds that will visit to prey on the insect residents. We've installed bird boxes and this beautiful bug hotel.

We have badger sets at the far end of the Field and the badgers’ role as ecosystem engineers contributes to habitat diversity, maintaining and regenerating soil health through foraging and sett building, and helping to disperse seeds through their dung. They create new habitats for amphibians, invertebrates and pollinators, and their setts provide refuge for other wildlife too.

We ensure he Field is not just for the two legged Bucklesham residents you know!

We added bike jumps in 2024 after a request from village children at a Parish Council meeting. The Councillors were so impressed with the way the children had represented themselves that they investigated the possibilities. 

All the materials necessary to build the jumps were very kindly donated by Jake Nichols of TRU7. We had over 12 lorry loads delivered all for free thanks to Jake.

James Perks and friends from Twisted Oaks Bike Park and Trails gave up days of their free time to plan, design and then construct the area for us. This was all done in conjunction with the children to ensure we delivered exactly what they wanted. 

The Parish Council and David are ably helped by village FOPs; Friends Of the Playing field. There are lots of FOPs in Bucklesham, and we are always looking for more to join us. There is no commitment necessary, no meetings to attend, and no expectation of the amount of your involvement.  We just ask that those villagers who use the field regularly, or who live close by it, are another pair of eyes and hands to help us keep the field tidy, safe and secure and as a fantastic facility for us all to use.  As FOPs we can all help and support each other with the day to day running of the field in order that the responsibility for it does not fall on just a few people.  We all benefit from the field, and the Parish Councillors would like to ensure it is protected for future generations.

A retyped version on the original 1972 Conveyance between Orwell Park Estate and the Bucklesham Parish Council can be viewed here. 

The Playing Field Rules For Use can be found here.

The latest RoSPA Report can be found here.

For more details about the Playing Field please contact the Parish Council Clerk at clerk@buckleshamparishcouncil.gov.uk