A new heritage-themed adventure golf course is set to become a major attraction at Selby Park as work gets underway on a programme of improvements enhancing one of the town’s most popular green spaces.

The new nine-hole course will celebrate Selby’s rich history and culture, taking players on a journey through the town’s past while providing a modern, family-friendly leisure attraction for residents and visitors.

The project forms part of wider plans to regenerate Selby Park, which is managed and maintained by North Yorkshire Council.

The authority has earmarked £353,000 in its capital programme for Phase 1 of the Selby Park Development Project.

The aim is to strengthen the park’s role as a key link between the Station Gateway area and Selby town centre. The scheme is being delivered through the authority’s Abbey Quarter programme, which is helping to bring forward a series of regeneration projects across the town.

To make way for the new facility, work has begun on removing the existing crazy golf course, which has served generations of park visitors for more than 30 years.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Malcolm Taylor, whose responsibilities include parks and grounds, said: “The investment supports our ambitions to regenerate Selby town centre, encourage healthier lifestyles and enhance one of the area’s most valued community spaces for residents, families and visitors.

“Parks play a vital role in supporting health and wellbeing, and these improvements will help ensure Selby Park remains a welcoming, accessible and high-quality destination for generations to come. By upgrading facilities and enhancing the surrounding environment, we are creating a space that people can enjoy throughout the year.”

NY Highways, North Yorkshire Council’s highways maintenance company, began removing the old course on Monday (September 14). Fencing has been installed as a security measure, with designers RL Golf set to begin work on the new facility on Monday (September 21).

Alongside the new adventure golf course, plans include a range of lawn games such as croquet, giant Jenga, cornhole and Kubb, which originated in Sweden and involves throwing wooden blocks, as well as improvements to lighting, signage and seating.

The new course will provide a modern, accessible attraction and has been designed using durable, low-maintenance materials. Aiming to provide a modern and engaging experience for residents, with players taken on a journey through Selby’s rich history, each hole is inspired by a different chapter in the town’s story.

Themes include the Viking settlers who founded Selby, the historic Selby Abbey, the town’s medieval market heritage and the importance of the River Ouse to local trade and development.

Visitors will also play their way through Selby’s industrial and transport legacy, including shipbuilding, the arrival of the railway and the area’s coal mining and power generation history. The course ends with a modern-day Selby-themed finale, creating a fun and interactive attraction that combines family entertainment with the town’s heritage.

The proposals for the park have been shaped by extensive public consultation involving more than 300 residents and stakeholder organisations, as well as dedicated engagement sessions with young people.

Feedback revealed strong support for investment in the park, with many residents identifying the mini golf course as a much-loved attraction in need of renewal. Young people also highlighted a lack of leisure opportunities in the town and backed proposals for new outdoor activities.