A right royal opening at Silverlake, Dorset
As King Charles III is crowned, Knighton Reserve will open its doors to nature enthusiasts from Silverlake and the local community. Nestled within 15.5 hectares, Knighton Reserve promises to offer a local nature reserve like no other, permanently accessible to the wider community. Surrounded by stunning heathland and winding waterways, it offers a tranquil place for families to wander through and a specific dog swimming area, Pooch's Place.
Watch as a special guest plants' a tree and officially opens the reserve, reflecting the King's vision for a greener future. With so much to see and do, Knighton Reserve is the ultimate nature lover’s paradise. Guests and visitors alike can enjoy the stunning scenery and local wildlife by choosing from a leisurely stroll along one of the many trails. Here, there are plenty of opportunities to spot local wildlife, including rare species of birds. Or they may choose to set up their picnic and enjoy a relaxing afternoon celebrating the Coronation whilst being surrounded by nature’s tranquillity.
Monarch-inspired cocktails
Toast to royalty with a variety of monarch-inspired cocktails, which have been expertly designed by the Hurricane Terrace and Ballihoo to encapsulate the personalities of previous monarchs. And as a special treat for those guests staying at Silverlake who share a royal name with one of the four monarchs from the last 100 years, they can enjoy a free cocktail/mocktail to celebrate the Coronation weekend!
Coronation Picnic
Indulge in a picnic fit for royalty, surrounded by stunning natural landscapes with one of Ballihoo or Hurricane Terrace’s specially curated picnic boxes. Guests staying with us over the weekend, can enjoy delectable treats such as artisanal sandwiches, pesto pasta salad, delicious chocolate brownies, and a selection of mouth-watering fresh fruit. Their picnic baskets are prepared using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients and are available for pre-order.
The Coronation Picnic takes place on Sunday 7th May 2023 from 1200-1600. Guests staying at Silverlake Estate can bring their own picnic or they may choose to pre-order a picnic box from the Hurricane Terrace, blankets are also available to hire from Coracle Safari hut for a deposit. You can pre-order a picnic box from Ballihoo here.
Coronation Coracle Races
Join the upcoming Coronation excitement by participating in the thrilling Coronation Coracle races. Families will have endless fun racing against each other along the waterways in these small round boats which can be challenging with only one canoe paddle! The Coracle Safari track has been dug out, especially for these crafts and consists of a network of rivers and islands on the estate’s most eastern side. Anyone over the age of eight is welcome to the challenge of racing down the waters in a coracle, with both beginners and expert paddlers welcome to sign up – just be prepared to get wet! The winners of each time slot will receive a prize fit for a King.
The Coronation Coracle races will take place on Sunday 7th May 2023. The homeowners’ races will take place from 1000-1200. The race for guests will commence from 1200-1300 and the final race for both guests, homeowners and the local community will take place from 1300-1600. Visitors must do this in person at the start of the timeslot to sign up. Habitat Escapes also kindly asks for a donation to Habitat First Foundation.
Woodland Rulers
Step into a real-life fairy tale and become Kings and Queens of the Woodland at Habitat Escapes’ upcoming Coronation celebration for guests. The day begins with a captivating woodland coronation ceremony where children are crowned as ‘Rulers of the Woodland’, creating their very own woodland crowns made using natural materials available to them at the Estate. Parents can leave their children, aged five and over, in the trusty hands of instructors or they can even join in with the fun themselves as they head out into the woodland. The adventurous youngsters can also join in with a range of fun woodland games once they complete their crowns, learning all about nature and how to protect the environment just like King Charles III.
For those who have not yet booked your Coronation holiday, we still have a variety of luxury Dorset-inspired holiday homes still available to book to ensure you feel like a royal for the weekend.
Please note, whilst Knighton Reserve is fully accessible to the community, the wider Estate and Silverlake facilities will remain exclusive to guests and homeowners.
We have limited parking space, so we recommend cycling or walking as a mode of transport. For those who will require parking, please see the map for directions.
