Paultons Park set to welcome guests overnight with new Scand-inspired resort by Gillespies

Gillespies is delighted to unveil the masterplan for an ambitious new overnight resort at Paultons Park, one of the UK’s most popular family attractions. Set on the edge of the New Forest National Park, the resort is designed to offer guests an immersive and memorable stay, marking a significant step in the park’s long-term evolution.

Designed to accommodate up to 700 guests, the resort will offer a diverse mix of lodges, including treehouses, underground hobbit houses, A-frame cabins, and woodland lodges, arranged around a picturesque village street. A central amenity hub will provide evening entertainment, family dining, retail outlets, play areas, and conference facilities, complementing the existing theme park offer.

Gillespies’ masterplan responds sensitively to the 4-hectare site, embracing the ecological richness of the New Forest with meadows, woodland glades, a central lake, and extensive native planting to enhance biodiversity and reflect the surrounding ecology. 

Gillespies has delivered the masterplan for the resort, in close collaboration with the Mancey family and a specialist consultant team, including Laister Planning Ltd., i-Transport, and Ecosupport Ltd. During this feasibility stage, the design team has focused on shaping the site’s layout and character, setting key design parameters, and establishing a clear, achievable vision to guide the next phase of development.

The proposal was submitted for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening in March 2025 and pre-application to the New Forest National Park Authority.

With more than 1 million visitors each year, the new resort marks a significant milestone in Paultons Park’s long-term growth, diversifying the visitor offer, attracting new audiences, and reinforcing its position as one of the UK’s most loved and visited family destinations.