Diggerland gains approval for fifth UK theme park
by Tom Anstey | 30 Oct 2015
Diggerland’s continued expansion across the UK has taken a big step forward after plans for a £5m (US$7.6m, €7m) site at The Valley in Evesham, Worcestershire, were approved by the local council.
First established in 2000, Diggerland recently made the leap overseas, opening its first franchised theme park in the US. Currently operating in four UK locations – including Devon, Durham, Kent and Yorkshire – the new Diggerland at The Valley is set to open 2016 after Wychavon District Council granted permission for the five acre development.
Overlooking the River Avon, Diggerland will be set within 125 acres (505,000sq m) of Evesham County Park green space and will also comprise a garden centre, factory outlet, farm shop and miniature steam railway. The recently rebranded park is also soon to offer a shopping village, cafés, restaurants, cycle tracks, climbing walls, running tracks and picnic areas.
Diggerland’s sister company Masterhitch Europe is behind designs and will handle construction of the park. Featured rides at the new attraction will include the signature Dumper Trucks, Sky Shuttle and Spin Dizzy, as well as offering visitors the chance to try out their excavating skills with a six-tonne digger and drive a JCB 3CX. In addition, the development will include indoor play areas, retail and the park’s signature Dig Inn café.
“Diggerland is the ultimate adventure park,” said Spencer Gower, Eagle One retail asset manager. “We are delighted to gain planning permission to bring it to The Valley. Diggerland is ideal for an action-packed day out, and will complement our existing shopping and leisure offer perfectly.”
Diggerland is expected to open in early 2016
24 Apr 2015
Diggerland to open new £5m UK theme park
07 Jul 2014
Construction-based Diggerland USA attraction opens in New Jersey
14 Apr 2014
UK's Diggerland park announces groundbreaking US deal
Diggerland’s continued expansion across the UK has taken a big step forward after plans for a £5m (US$7.6m, €7m) site at The Valley in Evesham, Worcestershire, were approved by the local council. First established in 2000, Diggerland recently made the leap overseas, opening its first franchised theme park in the US. Currently operating in four UK locations – including Devon, Durham, Kent and Yorkshire – the new Diggerland at The
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Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats. This is the seventh annual report of its kind. RevPAR for properties
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Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
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London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
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The London Museum’s new site will open in Smithfield, East London, on 28 November 2026. The new museum, designed by Asif Khan and Stanton Williams, alongside conservation architects Julian Harrap, will tell the story of London and its history, and will also act as a social space for residents and visitors. Items on permanent display will include the vest worn by King Charles I at his execution, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
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Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
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Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children can visit the 650-hectare estate, located near Bologna, to experience a retreat designed by the resort’s scientific director, Dr Annamaria Acquaviva. A dietitian and expert in mindfulness and longevity science, Acquaviva has created the programme to help children and teenagers build healthy and lasting habits.
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
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Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail and hospitality. The club combines high-end sports facilities with a strong sense of community in an ultra-modern space. UK-based interior designers, Zynk, delivered the interior architecture and brand identity for the 27,000sq ft club. The vision was to create a premium fitness and wellness destination that blends high-performance training with restorative experiences to create a
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
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All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son
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