Bodelwyddan Park has picked up a European award for the way visitors are now guided around the historic Denbighshire site.

Denbighshire County Council and designers f.r.a. have won the Best Wayfinding for Urban Public Realm award at the European Wayfinding Awards, recognising the signage and interpretation introduced as part of the park's wider regeneration.

The £900,000 project began in 2022 with funding from the UK Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It aimed to improve the condition of the parkland and make the site more accessible before it reopened to the public in 2025.

A new wayfinding system was designed to help visitors of different ages and abilities find their way around the park while also learning about its history and natural environment.

The signs use a combination of Welsh and English, colourful graphics and locally sourced oak. Information about the park's history and wildlife has been incorporated into the routes, with photographs, illustrations and three-dimensional features designed to encourage visitors to explore the displays through touch as well as sight.

The changes are not limited to the signage. Around two kilometres of new limestone-topped paths have been installed to make it easier for people with mobility difficulties to explore the park. The project has also restored First World War practice trenches and created wildflower meadows to support biodiversity.

The approach is designed to make the park more than simply a place to walk through, helping visitors understand the landscape and the heritage they are seeing along the way.

Jamie Trippier, Projects and Managing Director of f.r.a., said the award recognised the collaborative work involved in opening up the landscape and its heritage to a wider audience.

Denbighshire County Council Countryside Officer Garry Davies, who oversaw the project, said the aim had been to create an accessible green space where people of all ages could spend time outdoors and experience the park's natural and historic features.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Denbighshire's Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Education and Children, Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage, said the park had become an important asset for the local community since reopening.

The European Wayfinding Awards recognise projects that use design to help people navigate and understand public spaces. The Bodelwyddan Park project was recognised specifically for the way its signage, interpretation and landscape improvements work together to make the site more accessible and engaging.