Alton Towers
History
Early history of the grounds
The estate dates back to before 1000 BC, when an iron age fort was built in the area, known as Bunbury Hill. In circa 700 CE, the estate became the site of a fortress for the Saxon king Ceolred of Mercia. A castle was built soon after the Norman Conquest, but the date of its erection is unknown. In the 1100s, the estate passed to Bertram de Verdun, as a reward for his work in the Crusades. In 1318, the estate passed by marriage to Thomas de Furnival, when he married Joan de Verdun. It passed again in 1406, to Sir John Talbot, when he married Maud, the eldest daughter of Lord Furnival. He became the Earl of Shrewsbury in 1442, a title that had been resurrected after being forfeited by the third earl in 1102. The old castle was destroyed during the English Civil War.
The early Alton Towers was a hunting lodge, known as Alveton Lodge (or Alverton), which is the ancient name for Alton. It had three floors; one of the towers was from an earlier building, which is part of the present-day building. It was split into two properties, one of which was rented by a tenant. The other property was used by the Talbots as a summer residence, their main residence being at Heythrop in Oxfordshire.
Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl, began improvements on the house and initiated the creation of the Gardens, at the turn of the 19th century. Through the early 1800s, 13,000 trees were planted in the grounds. In 1811, major work began on the house. Over the next ten years, several new rooms were built: a drawing room, dining room, chapel, library, long gallery, banqueting hall, conservatory and entrance hall were all added. As a result of the work done, the house doubled in size. The entire building was renovated in a Gothic style, and the foundations of the Flag Tower were also laid. The house was renamed to Alton Abbey, despite there not being any particular religious connection. Some of the architects that worked on the house were Thomas Allason, William Hollins and Thomas Hopper.
In 1814 Charles and his wife moved into Alton permanently, and began the creation of extensive gardens. Prior to his work on the gardens, the land around Alton was farmland. Charles transformed the land into one of the largest gardens in Britain. Set in a valley that leads down to the River Churnet, a variety of features were created. A Pagoda fountain was built as an exact copy of the To Ho Pagoda in Canton[citation needed], which used water from a spring at Ramshorn that passed through various lakes and pools. The Garden Conservatories, designed by Robert Abrahams were built of cast iron, and today are filled with various plants. A building known as the Swiss Cottage housed a Welsh harpist, and is now a restaurant. A building known as Stonehenge was constructed, and a copy of Lysicrates’ Choragic Monument from Athens was built. Several gardens were planted, including a Dutch garden, located to the left of the conservatories, and a rock garden.
Following the earl’s death in 1827, his nephew John succeeded him, who completed the gardens and house. In 1831, the earl’s principal residence in Heythrop burned down. Everything that was saved was moved to Alton, and the earl came to live there permanently. Augustus Pugin designed a new entrance hall, banqueting hall and various other rooms, extending the house further, and it was renamed to Alton Towers. The grounds were opened to the public at various times of the year from 1839.
The 16th Earl died in 1852. He was succeeded briefly by his cousin, Bertram, who died at the age of 24. The house was finished by 1856, with no further alterations being made to the house again.
Because there was no direct heir to the estate, Bertram left the earldom and the estate to a younger son of the Duke of Norfolk. Henry Chetwynd-Talbot, a distant cousin of the late earl, contested the will and a lawsuit was initiated to determine who would get ownership. After some time it was granted to Henry Chetwynd Talbot of Ingestre Hall, Staffordshire. The ownership of the contents of the house was never contested, and so everything in Alton Towers was auctioned, with 4000 lots being sold over a period of 29 days. The new earl gained his title in 1858, and the estate in 1860. To celebrate, the earl held a procession on 13 April 1860. Beginning in Uttoxeter, it stretched over a mile and in the end over 40,000 people were said to be in the grounds. The earl continued to open the grounds to the public throughout the year at certain times, to help raise money to refurbish parts of the house.
During the 1890s, the 20th earl, Charles Talbot started the tradition of summer fetes at Alton. As well as the Gardens, people were attracted with fireworks displays, balloon festivals, clowns, and exhibitions of instruments of torture. In 1896, the earl and countess separated. The earl went to live at Ingestre, where he founded the Talbot Car Company in the 1900s, and the countess stayed at Alton. However, the house was left to decay because the earl did not pay much for the up keep, and the estate was neglected.
In November 1918, the earl decided to sell the majority of the estate by auction, due to his absence. After the earl died in 1921, the countess continued to live in the estate for another two years. In 1924 the rest of the estate was sold to a group of local businessmen, who formed Alton Towers Limited. While the contents of the house was sold off, the grounds were restored and remained open to the public. Some of the rooms of the house were converted into cafs and toilets for public use. The house was requisitioned during World War II as an officer training unit and the gardens were closed until 1951, by which time the neglected house had begun to deteriorate. It was in such a bad state, the entire building had to have its interior stripped out and sold, so it was just an empty shell. In the 1970s, concrete floors were added so that it could be opened to the public, and the building was listed as Grade II.
History of Theme Park
Alton Towers began its evolution into a theme park in 1980 with the instalation of The Corkscrew rollercoaster, Pirate Ship and the Alpine Bob sled ride. A year later the Log Flume opened and in 1984 the park’s second roller-coaster, The Black Hole opened. The themepark continued to be heavily invested in, year-on-year.
The park was purchased by The Tussauds Group in 1990. In 2005, Alton Towers was bought by the investment group Dubai International Capital (DIC) when it purchased Tussauds for 800million. The Tussauds Group was bought by Merlin Entertainments in March 2007 for over 1billion from DIC, placing Alton Towers under their control. In July 2007, the resort and park was sold to Nick Leslau and his investment firm Prestbury who now lease the park back to Merlin Entertainments to operate on a renewable 35-year lease.[citation needed]
Monorail
The Von Roll monorail transports visitors from the further away car parks to the main entrance and ticket booths. The monorail system was acquired from Expo 86 which was held in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was installed in 1987, a year after Towers Street.
In 2008, Sarner, a UK based theme park design company, was commissioned to revamp the nine monorail trains. This included exterior decoration and new bench seating. Each train has a personalised soundtrack to fit with its own theme, such as ‘pirates’.
Skyride
The Skyride is a cable car system which visitors can use to travel between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and Cloud Cuckoo Land.
The Skyride has operated since 1987 and replaced an earlier chairlift, which had opened in 1963. The central station in Forbidden Valley was burned on the evening of 28 October 2007, due to a faulty halogen lamp. The incident caused a power cut, which led to some guests being stranded on the park’s monorail. Luckily, this incident was reported quickly by a Towers employee as to not cause as much massive damage, and the park says that the damage caused to the station was mainly cosmetic. The Skyride re-opened 19 April 2008 after major work had been carried out on the station’s roof. At the end of 2008 season the original Skyride gondalas were replaced with smaller and more colourful gondolas.
At approximately 22:30 on 21 July 2009, a fire broke out in the Cloud Cuckoo Land station. It remained closed for the rest of the 2009 season and will re-open with a brand new building in 2010.
Theme park areas
The park is split into many themed areas, which are located in a horseshoe shape around The Towers ruins and 19th century gardens. Guests have the option of using the Skyride to navigate around the park; there are stations in proximity to Towers Street, Forbidden Valley and Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Towers Street
Opening in 1986 Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed loosely as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers ruins. The street contains several shops, including the Towers Trading Co., which sells official park merchandise. The first Skyride station is located nearby. The Your Day Shop is also located here along with Corner Coffee, Annual Pass Office and Guest Services.
Navigation:
Skyride (opened 1987; refurbished 2009)
Monorail (opened 1987; refurbished 2008)
Food, drink and shops:
Coca Cola Refill Station
Corner Coffee
The Towers Hot Dogs
The Towers Family Restaurant
Towers Trading
YourDay (DVD Souvenirs)
Mutiny Bay
Mutiny Bay Battle Galleons
Mutiny Bay is a pirate-themed land, which re-themed Merrie England in 2008, is aimed primarily at families. Attractions in Mutiny Bay include Battle Galleons, a large “Splash Battle” water ride where guests sit in boats which travel along a trough, and a rocking boat ride Heave Ho. The teacups ride was re-themed to become Marauders Mayhem, where rotating gunbarrels replaced the tea cups. The area also has a Burger King take-away and a new live show, The Pirates of Sharkbait Reef. Since the opening of the area, many live actors roam around the area dressed as pirates.
In 2009, a new Sea Life centre, Sharkbait Reef, opened in the location previously home to the 3-D Cinema. This includes designated “touch pools” where guests can interact with various underwater species and a 10-metre ocean tunnel. The attraction is one of the most heavily themed Sea Life centres to open worldwide.
Attractions:
Battle Galleons (opened 2008, replaces the Splash Karts)
Heave Ho (opened 2008)
Marauder’s Mayhem (opened 2008, rethemed Teacups ride)
The Pirate of Sharkbait Reef Show (opened 2009)
Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE (opened 2009, replaces 3D Cinema, closed since 2004)
Food, drink and shops:
Pirate’s Galley – Burger King
Courtyard Tavern and BBQ
Eastern Express
Mexican Cantina
Mutiny Bay Donuts
Mutiny Bay Hot Dogs
Mutiny Bay Shoppe
Pirates Pasty Co.
Previous names/themes:
Ingestre Centre
Aqualand
Merrie England
Katanga Canyon
Themed as an African village; created in 1992 and incorporated existing rapids ride. Rides include the Runaway Mine Train and the Congo River Rapids. Both are well-established rides in the park whose ride tracks share a tunnel. The area has a new ‘Explorer’s’ restaurant for 2009, with a shared indoor seating area (7.95 per head for all you can eat buffet). There is a shop located at the exits of the two rides called Katanga Cargo, hosting “ancient” tribal themed merchandise. Slightly outside the area (but still part of Katanga Canyon) is the popular ‘Flume’ ride, a log flume with boats themed as bath tubs and many ducks quacking around the station area. The Flume opened in 2004 after being rethemed from a traditional log flume ride. The ride is sponsored by the Imperial Leather toiletries company. The Flume does not fit into the theme of Katanga Canyon yet remains part of it according to the park, even though its entrance is now in Mutiny Bay.
Attractions:
Congo River Rapids (opened 1986; refurbished 1992)
Runaway Mine Train (opened 1992)
The Flume Unplugged (opened 1981; refurbished 2004)
Food, drink and shops:
Katanga Kabin
Explorers Pizza-Pasta Buffet Restaurant (Replaced KFC/Pizza Hut in 2009)
The Katanga Cargo Company
Previous names/themes:
Aqualand (Congo River Rapids/Grand Canyon Rapids only)
Gloomy Wood
The Gloomy Wood is a small, ghosts-and-monsters themed area containing the ride Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back!. The ride was originally a non-interactive ride named The Haunted House, but was upgraded in 2003 with laser-based plastic guns to shoot LED lights scattered around the rooms and monsters, with each player’s score displayed on a digital display in the ride car to encourage competitive play. In 2007 Haunted Hollow an outdoor walk-through following part of the route taken by the old railway was added to the Resort, linking from Mutiny Bay to Gloomy Wood, along the route tombstones and other scary items make noises and special effects are used to great effect.
Attractions:
Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back! (opened 1992; refurbished in 2003)
Haunted Hollow (opened 2007)
Food, drink and shops:
Gloomy Wood Kiosk
Waffles and Ices
Spooks ‘R’ Us
Forbidden Valley
Nemesis
Themed around a post-apocalyptic landscape, with large rocks and rusty pieces of metal and machinery scattering the area and also waterfalls coloured red to look like blood. One of the major rides is Nemesis, an inverted roller coaster, based around the fictional tale of an ancient malevolent alien creature. Also in the area, and continuing the apocalytic theme, are the Ripsaw and The Blade thrill rides. Ripsaw is a Huss Top Spin ride which opened in 1997, while The Blade is an older Huss Pirate Boat. At the end of the valley is an “oasis”, with calmer colours and plants, where the ride Air, the world’s first B&M flying coaster, can be found. A Skyride station also services this area of the park.
Ripsaw
Attractions:
Air (opened 2002, originally sponsored by Cadbury’s Heroes)
The Blade (opened 1980; relocated 1997 from Fantasy World before retheme to X-Sector)
Lava Lump (climbing wall)
Nemesis (opened 1994)
Ripsaw (opened 1997)
Skyride (opened 1987; damaged by fire 2007; refurbished 2009; damaged by fire 21 July 2009; Rebuilt for the 2010 season.)
The Edge: Video Arcade
Previous attractions:
Thunder Looper (closed 1996, replaced by Ripsaw in 1997)
The Beastie (relocated to Adventure Land in 1997)
The Beast (closed 1997, replaced by Air in 2002)
Food, drink and shops:
Forbidden Treats
Fresh Fish and Chips
The Generator – Burger King
Nemices Donuts
Refresh@Ripsaw
Air Shop
Previous names/themes:
Thunder Valley
Dark Forest
Dark Forest is due to open In March 2010, replacing Ug Land which opened in 1999. The parks first rollercoaster:Corkscrew which inhabited Ug Land is set to be replaced by Thirteen.
The area is due to be rethemed for the 2010 season, as phase 3 of Merlin Entertainment’s regeneration plan, with a new “world’s first roller coaster,” due to replace the area which was previously occupied by Corkscrew. The new ride has been unveiled as being called ‘Thirteen’.
Attractions:
Thirteen (Opening March 2010)
Rita (Opened 2005, re-themed March 2010)
Soakasaurus (Opened 1999, re-themed March 2010)
Food, drink and shops:
Bronto Bites
Sweet-T-Rex
Rita Shop
Rita’s Chicken and Ribs
Previous names/themes:
Talbot Centre
Festival Park
Ug Land
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Cloud Cuckoo Land is aimed at the younger audience of Alton Towers, and is themed with bright colours incorporating oversized flowers and toadstools, as if in a fantasy garden. Among the attractions are a bouncy castle play area called Wobble World, regular shows in the Theatre, and a Chair-O-Planes ride called the Twirling Toadstool. There are several other rides in the area especially suitable for younger children: Frog Hopper, Galloper’s Carousel and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory : The Ride, based on the Roald Dahl novel. The Peugeot Driving School gives children the opportunity to ride their own miniature car around a British style road network.
A new Skyride station is due to open in 2010, replacing the original which was destroyed by fire in July 2009.
Attractions:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride (opened 2006, replaced Toyland Tours)
Frog Hopper (opened 1999)
Galloper’s Carousel (opened 1991; refurbished 2009)
Peugeot 207 Driving School (opened 2006)
Wobble World indoor-play area (opened 2009)
Twirling Toadstool (opened 2009-originally located in Ug Land)
Cuckoo Theatre: The Wonderful World of Cloud Cuckoo Land (opened 2009)
Food, drink and shops:
Cuckoo Diner – Burger King
Caffe Express
Wobble World Cafe
Cuckoo Toys
Navigation:
Skyride (station destroyed by fire on 21 July 2009; rebuilt for the 2010 season)
Previous names/themes:
Talbot Street (unknown date-1992)
Land of Make Believe (19931997)
Cred Street (19972008)
X-Sector
Oblivion in X-Sector
X-Sector is themed as if it were a sinister government facility (although at the entrance to the area there is a sign stating that the area does not pretend to be anything more than a themed area at the Alton Towers theme park). The area contains the innovative Oblivion ride, the world’s first roller coaster with a vertical (88.8) drop. The extra-wide roller coaster cars are held hanging over the edge for 3 seconds before dropping downwards into a large hole amid mist and sirens, and then re-emerging into a heavily banked turn leading back into the station.
There are two thrill rides in the area which also have the ‘weapon’ theme. Submission is a double swing inverter and opened in 2001, whilst Enterprise has been at the park since 1984, though it was originally installed in the ‘Festival Park’ area. A giant blue tent, which once held the Black Hole roller coaster, lies in one corner of X-Sector, and a game arcade can be found next to Oblivion’s gift shop. Also there is the ‘Meltdown’ restaurant, which in 2009 sells just KFC food and has outdoor seating. The area has received little maintenance attention in a number of years, and as a result has become slightly run-down in places. In July 2009 much of the paving subsided and was severely damaged by a severe thunderstorm. This led to a large amount of repaving work and an improvement in the look of the area.
Attractions:
Enterprise (opened 1984)
Oblivion (opened 1998)
Submission (opened 2001)
Previous attractions:
Black Hole (closed 2005)
Energizer (relocated to former home in Ug Land 2001, until closure in 2004)
Food, drink and shops:
Meltdown – KFC (and Pizza Hut until 2009)
Rehydrator
X-Sell
Previous names/themes:
Springfield Centre
Fantasy World
Adventure Land
Adventure Land is aimed at visitors between the ages of 5 and 11, and consists mainly of climbing frames, slides, swings and similar equipment. The main ride is the Sonic Spinball spinning roller coaster, in which riders sit in seats that can spin on its base whilst travelling fast around the twisted track. The ride is usually very busy before noon and late afternoon/early evening due to its proximity to the park entrance. There are two other attractions: Beastie, a kiddie roller coaster and the ‘Space Adventures’ playground. The area also contains a food outlet.
Attractions:
The Beastie (opened 1983)
Space Adventures playground
Sonic Spinball (opened 2004, rethemed 2010)
Food and drink:
Refresh @ Spinball
Previous names/themes:
Kiddies Kingdom
Storybook Land
Storybook Land is the park’s smallest area and only contains one attraction: the ‘Squirrel Nutty Ride’ where riders travel around the area in acorn-shaped, powered cars. Storybook Land was created in 1996 when Kiddies Kingdom was split into this area and Adventure Land. The area contains no food outlets.
Attractions:
Squirrel Nutty Ride (opened 1996)
Previous names/themes
Kiddies Kingdom
Old MacDonald’s Farmyard
Themed around a traditional farm, this area contains a small petting zoo as well as a few rides for younger visitors, which include Doodle Doo Derby, a farm-themed carousel, and Riverbank Eye Spy, a recently re-themed boat ride. In 2003, the old barn that used to hold the farm animals before the Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001, was converted to a play barn called Berry Bish Bash, that contains thousands of small foam balls that are propelled, raised, thrown, dropped and shot. In 2007, a new themed playarea opened called There’s Something in the Dungheap, especially for youngsters, with a maze, a playground and a picnic area. The main feature is a large pile of dung in which visitors can enter to find interactive insects crawling the floor, made possible by a projector and sensor.
Attractions:
Berry Bish Bash (opened 2003, originally sponsored by Ribena)
Doodle Doo Derby (opened 1995)
There’s Something in the Dung Heap (opened 2007)
Old MacDonald’s Singing Barn (opened 1995)
Old MacDonald’s Tractor Ride (opened 1995)
Riverbank Eye-Spy (opened 1999)
Previous names/themes:
Britannia Building Society Farm
Safeway Farm
Historic areas
The Gardens
Alton Towers in 1880
As an example of the mixed style of Humphry Repton’s gardens, Alton Towers’ garden was begun, circa 1814 by the eccentric 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, of whom J. C. Loudon (who was consulted on design features of which there were many) relates that he consulted every artist, only to avoid ‘whatever an artist might recommend’.[citation needed]
Alton Towers grew into a collection of gardens: a Swiss Cottage, a Stonehenge, a Dutch garden, a Pagoda Fountain, said to be based on the To Ho pagoda in Canton, Lysicrates’ Choragic Monument from Athens (a feature in English gardens since the 1760s), domed glasshouses (originally gilded), even a fairly large Matterhorn as a backing to one of England’s earliest Alpine gardens.[citation needed] Near the garden entrance is a cenotaph of the 15th earl, a marble bust with an inscription reading “He made the desert smile”.
Landmarks include:
Chinese Pagoda Fountain
The Swiss Cottage
Miniature ‘Stonehenge’
A Greek Choragic Monument
Orangeries
The Towers
The Towers ruins are from what the park derives its name, and has sometimes featured a spooky maze during the Halloween period. Added for the 2000 season was the ride Hex – The Legend of the Towers within the ruins itself, an indoor haunted swing ride which made use of the history of the Towers. The story for the ride is based on one of Staffordshire great legends about a chained oak. The ruins are open to the public during most of the open season.
There is currently a 1.1 million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the house. It is currently unknown how the completed renovations will be used.
Key areas:
Hex – The Legend of the Towers (dark ride) (opened 2000)
The Banquetting Hall
The Chapel
Conservatories
Other facilities
Hotels
The resort features two hotels, The Splash Landings Hotel and The Alton Towers Hotel. The Splash Landings Hotel is a combination hotel and waterpark.
Alton Towers Hotel logo (2008 onwards)
Alton Towers Hotel
The Alton Towers Hotel opened in 1996 and is themed to the eccentric fictional character Sir Algernon Alton. The rooms are decorated in a classically English style with pictures of Sir Algernon’s inventions including the coasting roller adorning the walls.
The hotel features the Secret Garden restaurant serving a buffet breakfast and la carte dinner, there is also the Captain and Dragon bars, the latter having a Chinese theme along with the small event/conference rooms in the hotel. The bars and restaurant surround the “ship” centrepiece of the hotel featuring a hot air balloon shape and rotating propellers.
The ship is also used as a stage for the evening entertainment. In March 2008, as part of the drive to promote the resort firmly as a family destination, a show based around the adventures of Sir Alegnon was introduced along with Pirate Bill’s magic show.
Splash Landings Hotel logo (2008 onwards)
Splash Landings Hotel
The Splash Landings Hotel is the newer of the two hotels, opening in 2003, it has a Caribbean theme and the main feature is the Cariba Creek Waterpark. The hotel features Flambo’s Exotic Feast, a buffet restaurant with a wide selection of food including roast dinner and a chocolate fountain, also serving a buffet breakfast. Above Flambo’s Feast is the Ma Garrita’s Bar which features evening entertainment starring the Splash Landings character Ringo. the Lemur. Both the bar and restaurant have windows looking out over the indoor waterpark. The hotel rooms are in a wing to the side of the hotel and some rooms have views over the outdoor sections of the waterpark. The hotel also contains two shops, one selling general snacks, sweets and souvenirs and the other offering swimming costumes and other waterpark related sundries. There is also an arcade near Flambo’s restaurant.
Conference centre
Between the hotels sits the Alton Towers Conference Centre, Winner of meeting & Incentive Travel Magazine’s Best UK Unusual Venue Award 2007. The Conference Centre opened shortly after the Splash Landings Hotel and is linked to both hotels via a walkway running from the side of the Alton Towers Hotel to the Conference Centre and through the Cariba Creek waterpark to the Splash Landings Hotel.
Waterpark (Cariba Creek)
Main article: Cariba Creek
Opened in 2003 with Splash Landings Hotel. An indoor and outdoor waterpark themed as a tropical lagoon which is located within The Splash Landings Hotel and is accessible by both members of the hotel and members of the public. The waterpark also contains Quencher’s snack bar.
Extraordinary Golf
In 2007 Alton Towers opened Extraordinary Golf, 2 nine hole themed crazy golf courses, located near The Splash Landings Hotel. Each of the holes have themes based on attractions within the themepark e.g. Nemesis. As with Cariba Creek, this facility is aimed at the general public as well as park and hotel guests. The standard price is 5 to play one 9 hole course or 6 to play all 18 holes.
Music
The music played at Alton Towers is a combination of commercial tracks, library music and commissioned music. The following composers have had their music played at the park:
Graham Smart
Ian Habgood
David Buckley
Crispin Merrell
John Sanderson
In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg is the theme park’s theme tune used in adverts, and played througout the park.
Past rides
A single-loop roller coaster called Thunder Looper, manufactured by Schwarzkopf was constructed in 1990 but was closed only 6 years later. The ride propelled guests in cars along a track, through a loop, up a steep hill and then let gravity pull the car back through the loop again and back into the station. It was removed mainly because Alton Towers only obtained a temporary planning agreement and later height restrictions placed on the park and problems with the high level of sound the ride produced made it certain permanent planning permission would not be granted. Thunder Looper stood in the area Thunder Valley, which is now Forbidden Valley. The large ditch in which the track was situated is now partially taken up by the Blade ride.
The Black Hole featured a spiral lift and was contained entirely within a permanent tent structure that made some sections of the ride completely dark. This ride was closed in March 2005 and was sold and shipped out to an undisclosed theme park in Brazil in 2008. The sale was attributed to rising maintenance costs and new health and safety requirements requiring evacuation stairs on the spiral lift that could not be accommodated within the tent structure. As of July 2009 the tent structure which used to hold The Black Hole is still in place in its original location in the X-Sector area.
In common with most major parks, there was also a miniature railway line. It ran through the forest, and was one of the first attractions built after World War Two. It was a 2-foot (610 mm) gauge line equipped with Baguley locomotives, which although steam-outline in appearance were in fact powered by diesel engines. It closed in 1996, by which time this once-popular ride had been displaced by the Skyride cable-cars. It was gradually removed afterwards, and is now covered in part by the Haunted Hollow walk-through, some remnants of the railway can still be seen at various points in the forest.
List of past rides
Adventure Playground 1974-1993
Adventure Railway 1982-1992
Alpine Bob Sled 1980-1986
The Beast 1988-1991
Alton Mouse 1988-1991
Aquarium 1974-1994
Around The World In 80 Days 1981-1993
Astroglide 1979-1992
Barney’s Playground 2000-2002
Black Hole 1984-2005
The Blue Carousel 1981-1991
Boneshaker 1995-2004
Bouncing Bugs 1982-2008
Cine 360 1981-1987
Cine 2000 1980-1992
Corkscrew 1980-2008
Cred Street Playground 2006-2008
Dinosaurs 1980-1983
Doll’s House 1981-1995
Doom & Sons 1981-1991
Dynamo 1993-2003
Fantastic Fountains 1981-1992
Ferris wheel 1985-1986
Gravitron 1990-1992
Magic Carpet 1984-1985
Magic Show 1980-1986
Mini Apple Coaster 1982-1997
Miniature Golf 1980-1994
Mississippi Showboat 1985-1996
Model Railway 1957-1992
The New Beast 1992-1998
Nickelodeon: Outta Control 1997-1998
Octopus 1984-1991
Park Railway 1953-1996
Motor Museum 1987-1992
Paddling Pool 1963-1992
Planetarium 1972-1987
Rowing Boats 1923-1996
Sea Lions 1957-1990
Space Boat 1983
Spider 1986-1991
Splash Karts 1966-1996
Sun Liner Trains 1984-1986
Swan Boats 1987-2003
Tea Cup Ride 1986-2007
Thunder Looper 1990-1996
Thunderbirds 1982-1990
Toyland Tours 1994-2005
Towers Express 1974-1983
Tri-Star 1989-1992
Turbo Star 1984-1989
Tweenies Playground 2003-2005
Vintage Cars 1983-2005
3D Cinema 1981-2004
4 Man Bob Coaster 1985-1991
1001 Nights 1985-1994
New and proposed attractions
2010
Thirteen, a 15million rollercoaster is currently under construction for the 2010 season. The ride will sit near the site of the now removed Corkscrew rollercoaster, next to Rita – Queen of Speed. The attraction will feature a ‘world first’, and will be manufactured by Intamin AG. Planning documents have shown that the ride will have a spooky/gothic theme, similar to nearby Hex. The rollercoaster will be the most expensive ever built at a Merlin/ex.Tussauds park in the UK. In December 2009, it was announced the ride, going by the codename Secret Weapon 6, would be named ‘Th13teen’.
Alton Towers is working in partnership with Sega to give Spinball Whizzer a re-theme based on their famous mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog for the 2010 season – the ride will be known as Sonic Spinball, based on the 1993 video game of the same name.
A new Skyride station in the Cloud Cuckoo Land area of the park is set to open, this will replace an older station that was destroyed by fire in July 2009.
The fireworks displays are returning for 3 days at Alton Towers scarefest.
2011 onwards
The park have recently expressed that a third hotel or new accommodation of some sort will be built over the coming years to go alongside the existing two hotels as part of a 10 year development plan for the park. The park also highlighted areas for development in the plan, as well as suggesting the idea of a new park entrance in Forbidden Valley or near Gloomy Wood to act as a second entrance or to replace the existing one in Towers Street. Presently these are just ideas outlined by the park for the future.
The structure that originally housed the Black Hole rollercoaster (which closed in 2005) is a potential site for a new development, either in the original tent or a new structure. It is likely that developments will take place when the rest of X-Sector is given attention in next couple of years.
Other areas and rides likely to be replaced or developed over the coming years include the current Flume site, which was rethemed in 2004 from a traditional log flume to a bathtime theme sponsored by Imperial Leather to refresh the ride but also fit with its area Merrie England. However this area has since been rethemed to the pirate land Mutiny Bay and The Flume, due to its theme, now looks isolated (the ride sponsorship also ends soon). A retheme or replacement ride could follow within the next 5 years. There is also ‘The Beastie’, a children’s rollercoaster in Adventure Land, a compact but tired ride that has resided in the park since 1983. It is rumoured to be leaving the park soon. Lastly there is also the green big top tent at the back of Adventure Land that hosted numerous ice shows, but has remained empty for 5 years.
An area in the top corner of Cloud Cuckoo Land which has been closed off to the public for over a decade could potentially be opened up again, this used to house several compact coasters which have since left the park. In this themed area there is also the old Nickelodeon: Outta Control building (ride closed 1998) which could be developed into a new attraction.
Events
Live Concerts
The theme park and backlot car park areas host occasional concerts during the year. Over the years these have included Tina Turner, James (band) and Chris de Burgh. In 2010, the park will play host to its first live date within the theme park itself on 27 June when Pink plays as part of her Funhouse Summer Carnival Tour.
February Half Term
The park opens selected attractions during February half-term in the closed season. In 2010 the event runs from 1321 February and rides including Air and Oblivion are open along with a selection of family rides.
Scarefest
The park’s major annual event is ‘Scarefest’ which celebrates Halloween with a number of scare mazes, including the hugely popular ‘Terror of the Towers’ – in which parts of the Towers are extensively themed and filled with live actors – and the ‘Field of 1000 Screams’, a corn maze built near the hotels, again themed and with live actors. Characters and decorations are also set up around rides or even incorporated into the rides such as ‘Duel Live’ in place of Duel, and many characters can be found in all areas around the park. The closing time is extended to 9pm and the rides run in the dark, with the main areas lit by floodlights. This year’s Scarefest will run from 17 October – 1 November 2009.
Adrenalin Week
Adrenalin Week has run since the 2005 season, but had a break in 2008 after low attendance during the 2007 event. From 2 November to 7 November 2009, the park’s ten biggest thrill rides (including Air, Nemesis, Oblivion, Rita-Queen Of Speed, Enterprise and Submission) were in operation for the last time in 2009, with admission to the park costing just 10 in advance or 15 on the day.
Winter
Alton Towers resort is transformed into a Winter Wonderland during December and early January. With a magical world of reindeer, elves and Santa himself, guests can ride on selected attractions in the playground located adjacent to the Splash Landings hotel. There are dozens of Christmas trees, many characters and plenty of live entertainment.
Fireworks
In past years, Alton Towers hosted an annual fireworks display on the Great Lawns, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors. The displays were amazing, but too loud, which led to complaints from certain neighbours, especially two local residents, Suzanne and Stephen Roper, who took the theme park to court regarding this issue. After a court noise abatement order was issued in October 2005, the park could only hold three shows a year with noise readings not exceeding 40 decibels outside the park, which led to the park abandoning the fireworks in favour for the scarefest event. This has been met with a very mixed reaction from guests, and even some locals are disappointed about the removal of these. The last show was held in 2006.
It is also of note that the Earl of Shrewsbury made use of fireworks as part of the Grand Fetes held at Alton Towers in the 1890s.
The Fireworks are returning for the 2010 scarefest event.
“YourDay”
The “YourDay” DVD system enables visitors who wear optional RFID wristbands during their stay at the park to be filmed on eight of the main rides and at various locations around the park. Wristbands can later then be returned to the Your Day shop; where personalized footage will be collected and inserted alongside stock footage of the rides, to produce a DVD souvenir of the visitor’s day.
The YourDay system features personalised footage on Nemesis, Rita – Queen of Speed, Spinball Whizzer, Oblivion, Air, The Flume and Congo River Rapids. Customers can preview their footage before they buy.
The theme park received some press for the YourDay planlthough it is intended to be optional and used for providing personalised video of a visitor’s day, the media reacted to the privacy implications and Big Brother scenario.
YourDay officially went into administration on 31 March 2009, after failing to open for the start of the 2009 season. However, the shop reopened for business in October 2009 for the final weeks of the season.
Controversy
A marketing strategy encouraging workers to call in absent in order to visit the theme park was heavily criticised by business groups.
Relations with the local community were harmed when Alton Towers significantly reduced the amount of free tickets it provides to local residents as compensation for the heavy traffic the theme park attracts to the small local village roads.
On July 20, 2006 an accident involving the Runaway Mine Train occurred near the tunnel area of the ride. The train separated into two, with the two sections colliding after the first section rolled back (or “valleyed”). Three people were taken to hospital while another 26 were treated for minor injuries. The ride remained closed until 2007.
The park was subject to media coverage over its decision to slaughter its livestock from the Old McDonald’s Farmyard area due to the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in 2001. The slaughter was deemed necessary as the park would have been unable to open to the public if the animals remained, and livestock movement restrictions prevented them from being removed from the theme park itself. The RSPCA criticised the action, saying other options should have been examined.
Alton Towers was hired out for the day by a Muslim group, so people of Muslim faith could book the resort for the whole day and perform prayers and other Islamic activities. It was, however, attacked by critics as an example of political correctness. It was discovered that the same day had already been booked for a wedding for a non-Muslim couple and their 60 invited guests. The couple were allowed to attend the day, but had to respect the Muslim rules. The event was eventually cancelled due to lack of interest.
In October 2006, 15 out of 19 fast food outlets, and an independently run KFC failed local council health inspections.
In August 2009 Alton Towers hit the press with its decision to ban men from wearing Speedo style swimming briefs.
See also
List of theme parks in the United Kingdom
Merlin Entertainments (Alton Towers parent company)
References
^ Themed Entertainment Association; Economics Research Associates (May 2008) (PDF). Attraction Attendance Report. Park World. http://www.connectingindustry.com/downloads/pwteaerasupp.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
^ http://www.altontowersheritage.com/article.asp?articleid=57
^ “Dubai firm buys Tussauds”. BBC News Online. 2005-03-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4375219.stm. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ “Tussauds firm bought in 1bn deal”. BBC News Online. 2005-03-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6419019.stm. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ Monorail refurbishment http://www.sarner.com/PhotoGallery/AltonTowers-ThemeParkDesign01.html
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8162506.stm BBC News – Crews tackle fire at theme park
^ Alton Towers: New for 2007 http://www.alton-towers.co.uk/resort/newfor2007.asp
^ “End of the line for Corkscrew”. Alton Towers Almanac. http://www.towersalmanac.com/index.php?show_story=358. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
^ “SW6 Revealed: TH13TEEN”. Towers Nerd. http://towersnerd.com/news/item.php?id=193. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
^ “Coming soon the first rive of your life”. easier.com. 2006-07-10. http://www.easier.com/view/News/Motoring/Peugeot/article-59601.html. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ M&IT Industry awards 2007 winners http://www.meetpie.com//Modules/EventModule/MIT/default.aspx?url=event_mit_winners
^ “Alton Towers Waterpark – Cariba Creek opening times & pricing”. Alton Towers. http://www.altontowers.com/waterpark/openingpricing.asp. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ “Alton Towers Past Rides: Thunder Looper”. Alton Towers Almanac. http://www.towersalmanac.com/areas/rides.php?id=66. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^ “SW6 news round up”. Alton Towers Almanac. http://www.towersalmanac.com/index.php?show_story=374.
^ “Fireworks go-ahead for theme park”. BBC News Online. 2005-10-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4342978.stm. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ http://www.altontowersheritage.com/article.asp?articleid=35 | 19th Century fireworks
^ “Theme park visitors can be tagged”. BBC News Online. 2006-04-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4911916.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
^ “YourDay Is No More”. Towers Nerd. http://towersnerd.com/news/item.php?id=156. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
^ “Theme park ‘pushing absenteeism'”. BBC News Online. 2004-04-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3644689.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
^ “Villagers lose free ride ticket”. BBC News Online. 2006-03-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4765370.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
^ “Dozens hurt on Alton Towers ride”. BBC News Online. 2006-07-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/5198728.stm. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
^ “Animals killed at Alton Towers”. The Independent. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010307/ai_n14376945. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
^ “Alton Towers cull ‘breached trust'”. BBC News Online. 2001-07-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1423687.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
^ “Alton Towers booked for Muslims only day”. Middle East Online. 2006-07-03. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=16877. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ Liddle, Rod (2006-07-08). “Britain Muslims at Alton Towers”. The Spectator. http://www.spectator.co.uk/printer-friendly/23523/britains-muslims-at-alton-towers.thtml. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ Brooke, Chris (2006-07-11). “Couple’s Alton Towers wedding in the balance after clash with Muslim fun day”. The Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=395208&in_page_id=1770. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
^ “Theme park food units criticised”. BBC News Online. 2007-01-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/6232135.stm. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
^ Kennedy, Maev (2009-08-10). “Alton Towers bans men in Speedos”. The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/10/alton-towers-speedo-ban. Retrieved 2009-09-11. “Morwenna Angove, sales and marketing director for Alton Towers, said: “We feel this small brief style is not appropriate for a family venue so we are advising male bathers to wear more protective swimwear such as shorts.””
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alton Towers
Official website
Lost Heritage: full architectural history of the house
Description of Theme Areas
v d e
Alton Towers
Roller coasters
Air (2002) Beastie (1983) Nemesis (1994) Oblivion (1998) Rita – Queen of Speed (2005) Runaway Mine Train (1992) Sonic Spinball (2004)
Other rides
Hex – the Legend of the Towers (2000) Congo River Rapids (1986) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride (2006) Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back (2003)
Past rides
Around The World In Eighty Days (19811993) Toyland Tours (19942005) Nickelodeon: Outta Control (19971998) Doom & Sons (19811992) The Black Hole (19842005) Thunder Looper (19901996) Corkscrew (19802008) The Beast (1988-1997)
Future rides
Thirteen (2010)
See also
Cariba Creek Merlin Entertainments John Wardley
v d e
Attractions operated by Merlin Entertainments
Theme Parks
Alton Towers Resort Chessington World of Adventures Gardaland Heide Park Thorpe Park
Legoland
Legoland Billund Legoland California Resort Legoland Deutschland Legoland Windsor
Future locations: Legoland Florida (2011)
Legoland Discovery Centres
Berlin Schaumburg Duisburg
Future locations: Manchester (2010) East Rutherford (2010) Grapevine (2011) Atlanta (2011)
Sea Life Centres
Locations in the UK and Eire
London Sea Life Aquarium, Central London National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham Blackpool Bray Brighton Great Yarmouth Loch Lomond Scarborough Weymouth
Locations in Germany
Berlin Cuxhaven Knigswinter Konstanz Munich Nurnberg Oberhausen Speyer Timmendorfer Strand Hannover
Locations Elsewhere
Sea Life Centre Benalmdena, Benalmdena (Spain) Blankenberge (Belgium) Helsinki (Finland) Paris (France) Sea Life Centre Porto, Porto (Portugal) Scheveningen (Holland)
Locations in Theme Parks
‘Sharkbait Reef’, Alton Towers Resort Chessington World Of Adventures Gardaland ‘Legoland Atlantis’, Legoland Billund Legoland California Resort Legoland Deutschland
Seal Sanctuaries
National Seal Sanctuary, Gweek, Cornwall Oban, West Highlands Hunstanton, Norfolk
Madame Tussauds
London Amsterdam Berlin Hollywood Hong Kong Las Vegas New York Shanghai Washington D.C.
The Dungeons
London York Hamburg Amsterdam Edinburgh Warwick Castle
Other Attractions
Earth Explorer, Ostend London Eye Warwick Castle
v d e
UK Theme Parks
Merlin Theme Parks:
Alton Towers Chessington World of Adventures Legoland Windsor Thorpe Park
Other Selected Theme Parks:
Barry Island Pleasure Park Blackgang Chine Blackpool Pleasure Beach Drayton Manor Dreamland Margate Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach Flamingo Land Lightwater Valley Loudoun Castle New Pleasureland Oakwood Paultons Park Robin Hill Pleasurewood Hills
Categories: Amusement parks in England | Houses in Staffordshire | Gardens in Staffordshire | Visitor attractions in Staffordshire | Gothic Revival architecture in England | Von Roll people movers | MonorailsHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from July 2008 | Articles with unsourced statements from August 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements from February 2007
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