The Old School

Robinwood South Pennines Activity Centre - Todmorden, Lancashire

We opened our South Pennines centre in 1994, converting a Victorian primary school to accommodate groups of up to 25 children. Since that first season we have twice increased the accommodation at the activity centre, so that we can now accommodate groups of up to 90 children together with their accompanying teachers.

We have also developed the activities offered and introduced several new activity sessions, listening all the time to the opinions of teachers and children, to ensure the best possible activity programme. We are really pleased to have now added our latest extension to the Old School (completed in March 2011) within which we offer three outstanding indoor sessions. We have two activities; Trapeze and Crate Challenge that are brand new to the Old School. We have also brought the archery range inside so that this session can be enjoyed in the warmth and undercover whatever the weather.

One of the highlights of a visit to the Old School is a trip up to Orchan Rocks; a formation of natural boulders that is perfect for children to challenge themselves by seeing which of the small holes they can wriggle through. Also up on the moors we run moorland challenge at the start of the course and have a streamwalk, incorporating a trip down the zip wire which runs over a small waterfall. These activity sessions mean that the Old School Centre, of all three centres, offers the most real "outdoor pursuits" using natural resources. The large main hall in the centre of the activity centre has been divided in two to create a fantastic climbing hall, providing climbing, traversing and abseiling facilities suitable for all ability levels. In the other half of the main hall we have an artificial caving system, with fully featured sections to squeeze through by the light of the caving lamp on your helmet.

In one ground floor room within an extension to the main building we have the Robinwood 'piranha pool'; designed to capture the imagination whilst also challenging the teamwork and problem solving abilities of the group.

Watersports for our South Pennines centre take place on the Rochdale Canal, which is accessed by a 10 minute drive in our PCV licenced minibus. The water used is ideal for young children to do canoeing and raft building. It is sheltered, just over 1 metre deep and children are never more than 10 metres from the bank.

Centre Address:

Jumps Road

Todmorden

Lancashire

OL14 8HJ

Top