Alice Holt Forest is saying goodbye to its much-loved owl and woodpecker play-sculptures.

Both sculptures are over 25 years old and have exceeded their expected lifespan, having been built in 1997.

They have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of children, but for safety reasons they are being removed at the end of January.

Visitors won’t have to wait long to see what will be replacing the two sculptures, however. 

South district recreation manager for Forestry England Nick Wardlaw said: “Coming soon are new character sculptures to join Gruffalo and Gruffalo’s Child, as part of the ongoing relationship with Magic Light Pictures.

“Forestry England is bringing the world-famous tale to life through new sculptures of each of the characters from famous books written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.”

Other sculptures such as the dormouse and tunnels remain open alongside play areas near the café and the Timberline play area.

Forestry England is encouraging people to enjoy the sculptures before they are taken away. 

Mr Wardlaw added: “We would like to thank all our visitors that have posted about these wonderful structures, we’ve loved seeing so many memories on our social accounts. Please continue to share your favourite photos.”