I think we're pretty lucky here in the UK when it comes to coasters. Sure, there's a pretty sizeable gap when it comes to the airtime front but that aside I think you'd be hard pressed to argue against our flair for the unique and whimsical when it comes to coaster design. Not only are we home to a ton of world's first attractions where the market demand for a quirky and one-of-a-kind USP has lead to some incredible innovation and developments in technology with the likes of coasters like Oblivion and rides like Derren Brown's Ghost Train, but the deep-rooted British predisposition towards the eccentric and weird means that our coasters tend to lean a little more off the beaten track than, say, our American counterparts across the pond.
We're very lucky to find big budget examples of this madness in our larger chain-owned parks across the country, but if you're interested in getting a taste of the true madness borne out of the British inclination for the bizarre, then you need to turn your attention to our smaller, independent parks. Today, I'm going to count down my top 5 beyond bonkers and wonderfully whimsical coasters in the UK that you probably should have heard of but might not have. Here we go!
Kicking things off with the truly terrifying and gloriously immersive Raptor Attack found in the lush Yorkshire countryside at a little park known as Lightwater Valley. You'll most likely be familiar with the park as the home of Europe's longest roller coaster The Ultimate, but the park is also home to one gem of an indoor, themed coaster experience. Previously known as Rat Ride when it opened in 1987, Raptor Attack is a Schwarzkopf Wildcat coaster that takes place entirely underground! It was actually the world's first subterranean coaster when it opened and offers guests a fully immersive experience from the second they enter the abandoned mine shaft tunnel that takes them deep beneath the surface of the earth, through eerie tunnels echoing with droplets of water that drip solemnly in the darkness.
From here it goes full horror maze - with blood spattered set pieces hinting that something has gone awry before riders board their train and embark upon their coaster journey complete with animatronic raptors that leap from the darkness - it's a high octane experience that combines the thrill of an intense coaster in the dark with the heart-pumping adrenaline that comes with a classic jump scare. And it is marvellous - the setting lends itself to a naturally creepy and foreboding vibe so the jump scares really pay-off in a way that any self-respecting ghost train can only dream of, and the Schwarzkopf coaster itself is a fun and thrilling ride regardless of the extra layers of theming and storyline and drama. Head to Lightwater Valley for the legendary ride that is The Ultimate but stay for the marvel of narrative-led storytelling that is Raptor Attack.
Now I can't speak to its latest revamp as I am yet to experience it for myself but down on the glowing pastures of what was once an active Devon dairy farm you'll find the Milky Way Adventure Park - home of the UK's last remaining Batflyer coaster with an equally ambitious narrative and themed experience. When I rode this coaster it was known as Clone Zone and featured a series of themed walk-through rooms before boarding the coaster proper, each with an 'alien invasion' theme expertly executed through the clever use of lighting and blacklight paint on MDF sets - truly the stuff of crude funfair fun houses and ghost trains and yet in this instance implemented so well that it gave the larger chain operated dark rides a run for their money!
And then to board such an odd contraption as a Batflyer coaster to see you into the finale of this bizarre alien expedition in the middle of a dairy farm field in Devon is just the cherry on the cake! I was lucky enough in the past to be given a guided, lights-on tour of the space the coaster occupies and could marvel myself as to how the park managed to deliver such a fun and thrilling ride - really making use of the tiny space it occupies and manipulating the light/darkness to tell the story so effectively, even managing to give a little edge of creepiness along the way. Like ET Adventure meets classic ghost train. Ziggy's Blast Quest uses that same coaster track but with an updated theme and storyline provided by Marvellous Eventures - in this latest version of the attraction guests embark on an adventure through space, helping to protect planet earth from an impending meteor strike. It's the last thing one would expect inside an old milking shed!
A glorious piece of British amusement and seaside history yet probably the one we hear the least about, simply because it hasn't caught fire nor is it operated by Blackpool Pleasure Beach therefore it seems to have evaded the attention of the press! Having originally operated at the Paris Colonial Exhibition in 1929, Roller Coaster was transported over to Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and has operated there since 1932. It has all the trimmings of what a classic wooden roller coaster should be and then some - gorgeously decorated trains that are reminiscent of the classic British seaside kiss-me-quick postcards operated by a brakeman who rides along with thrillseekers to ensure it safely traverses the course. And this thing still hauls ass, even after all this time. They say we lack airtime here in the UK but I'd argue we're pretty close to it if you're sitting front row on this bad boy.
The thing that's always caught my fancy and appreciation about Roller Coaster is the way it is decorated. We see none of the support structure or beams of the coaster itself but instead the entire contraption is clad with blue, red and white with an almost Americana style stars and stripes motif. Originally the coaster was surrounded with plaster fashioned to look like hills and mountains complete with fairytale forests and castles - similar to the style one can still experience on Hochschaubahn at Wiener Prater in Vienna. Sadly this no longer remains however it still feels absolutely timeless and if one were to stand and face the ride at the right angle it would be very easy to convince yourself that you'd travelled back to that sadly begotten era where the British seaside was at the peak of its popularity.
A few miles down the seafront from Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach you'll come across what is truly one of the quirkiest and whimsical of the remaining British seaside amusements - Joyland, an amusement park operating since 1949 that somehow manages to operate a total of nine attractions despite being extraordinarily small. Among these classic amusement park favourites is Tyrolean Tubtwist, a coaster which has the honour of being the last remaining Virginia Reel type roller coaster in the entire world. It has all of the charm of any classic theme park attraction - from the glorious hand-painted signage to the whimsical theming and scenery that surround it. Sadly it's not that thrilling an attraction unlike the other coasters I've mentioned in this list, in fact it seems to struggle as it trundles along its layout, but that only serves to make the ride even more endearing.
Something I adore about our smaller parks here in the UK is the effort they can go into to executing something properly despite potential budgetary limitations - and on no coaster in the UK is that clearer than Astro Storm at Brean Theme Park. The coaster is a classic 80s Four Man Bob by Zierer and may be better known by some of you as Space Invader or Space Invader 2 from Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I am delighted to inform you that the old gal lives on, and in fact appears to be thriving! Marketed as 'the UK's most sensational dark ride roller coaster', Astro Storm certainly does its best to live up to that promise in every aspect. From the minute you step onto the themed station you're on a mission into space and it doesn't stop and your ride is over.
Corny, yes. Cheesy, sure! But between hurtling high-speed through pitch blackness, some well placed lighting and well-timed audio cues you're only a stone's throw away from Space Mountain territory which is a very impressive feat for a smaller funfair style UK park. The coaster does everything in its power to take you on a thrilling journey through space with the excitement of adventure and and thrill of peril as 'asteroids' come hurtling towards you, it might not be Disney standard but it's certainly not far from it! A hidden gem if ever there was one and a great throwback to those missing that classic 'space adventure' theme we don't get so much in our UK parks.
Urgh, writing this post has really left me with a hankering to get back out there to visit some quirky British independent parks! Oh well, soon let's hope. What's your favourite 'hidden gem' attraction in the UK? Which independent park will you be visiting first when the parks reopen?
Talk later xoxo,
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