Escape rooms, bowling and a quiz at the pub have their place, but most teams have done them all before. If you want a day your colleagues will still be talking about months later, you should be looking for something a bit out of the ordinary. These five venues offer team building days you won’t find on the usual list. Expect zip wires, classic cars, clay pigeons, Olympic tracks and even a prison break.
1. Allianz Stadium, Twickenham: the Giant Zip Wire Experience
Few people ever see the home of England Rugby from above. On the Giant Zip Wire, participants step off a launch platform high above the stands and glide across the famous turf, with a view of the stadium most fans never get. The zip wire returned to the stadium for a limited run in October, with dates set aside for corporate groups. If you missed it, businesses can bring the Giant Zip Wire back on a bespoke basis, at a time that suits them, for an additional cost per event. It’s also a rare chance to have one of the world’s most famous rugby grounds to yourselves.
2. Goodwood Estate, West Sussex: speed, history and sheep
Goodwood’s famous Motor Circuit is an adrenaline-fuelled way to build team spirit, combining speed, history and a healthy dose of competition. The Ultimate Performance Track Day brings together high-performance driving, race coaching, simulators and hospitality, which makes it a great fit for team rewards and celebrations. On a full day you’ll drive four of the fastest cars at Goodwood, with games, activities, personal analysis and coaching built in.
Revival Racing takes teams back to the golden age of 1950s and 60s motor racing. Groups drive a fleet of classic cars, surrounded by 1960s set dressing and period styling for a fully immersive day. Beyond the circuit, the wider estate has some of the most unusual team bonding experiences in the country. Teams can take 1960s Land Rovers on a bespoke off-road adventure, tackling log bridges, trenches and woodland trails with Goodwood’s expert instructors. Groups after a lighter touch will love the playful, hands-on sheep-herding experience on Goodwood Home Farm, led by the estate’s shepherd, Nick Page. And for teamwork at altitude, Grapefruit Bombing combines flying, precision and competition.
3. Purdey at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School: clay shooting and a BBQ feast
Purdey at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School is just over an hour’s drive out of London and 10 minutes from Pangbourne train station, so it’s an easy escape from the city. The school hosts full and half days for teams looking to reconnect and bond in a setting quite unlike the office. Shooting sessions are fast-paced and fun, and end with a prize giving. Afterwards, teams can sit down to a full BBQ feast in the outdoor BBQ area. All catering is taken care of, and the building is also home to the beautiful Purdey boutique. For extra wow factor, the team can add car displays, themed bars, musicians, axe throwing and even duck-herding.
4. Lee Valley VeloPark, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: race on an Olympic track
Few teams can say they’ve raced on the track where Great Britain’s cyclists made Olympic history. At Lee Valley VeloPark in Stratford, the London 2012 velodrome is open for exclusive corporate sessions. The VeloPark is the only venue in the world to offer all four Olympic cycling disciplines in one place: track, BMX, road and mountain biking. Bespoke away days can combine the velodrome, the BMX track, a one-mile road circuit and almost five miles of mountain bike trails, with coaching and kit hire included. For a competitive edge, the Fastest Lap Challenge sends each rider round a single 250m lap against the clock. Everyone rides identical track bikes with the same gearing, so the leaderboard comes down to pure effort. Teams can also add BMX races and road time trials.
5. Shepton Mallet Prison, Somerset: break out together
For a team day with a darker edge, Shepton Mallet Prison lets you spend time inside one of the UK’s most notorious former prisons, a real jail around 400 years old. The headline activity is Prison Break: The Challenge. Teams have 60 minutes to escape a cellblock, solving puzzles and dodging officers along the way. Tactical Officer Training offers a prison-style bootcamp built around problem-solving, communication and strategy, and the Behind Bars guided tour brings the site’s history to life. Half-day and full-day packages suit groups of 10 or more, with formats that work for teams of over 100. Optional catering and private hire are available, and the site is easy to reach from Bath and Bristol, with coach-friendly access and on-site parking.