Lightwater Valley
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Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park is a theme park located in Ripon, Yorkshire, England, UK.
The park was recreated in the original RollerCoaster Tycoon.
History
Lightwater Valley first opened as a farm in 1969. It was owned by Robert Staveley. The park was acquired in 1997 by Queensborough Holdings, who purchased Pleasurewood Hills the previous year.[1][2] In 2001, it was sold to Ball Investments, who employed Heritage Great Britain to operate it.[3]
In 2011, a new pirate-themed area called Skeleton Cove was opened with five new rides purchased from the recently closed Loudoun Castle, representing an investment of £1.2 million.[4] For the 2015 season, the mini golf course was redeveloped and relaunched as Jurassic Adventure Golf.[5]
Lightwater Valley was sold in June 2017 to Livingstone Leisure, who also own Flambards Theme Park.[6]
The opening of the park was delayed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Ultimate, Raptor Attack, and Apollo remained closed throughout the season. The park had stated that these rides will remain closed as it is aiming to focus on families for the remainder of the season.[7]
On 1 February 2021, the park announced that it would continue to focus on families with young children and as a result Raptor Attack, Apollo, Eagle's Claw, Black Pearl, and Wild River Rapids would be removed.[8] The park did not publicly comment on The Ultimate, however, it responded to private messages by confirming that it would not operate in 2021.[9]
The park was sold to The Brighton Pier Group (owners of Brighton Palace Pier) in June 2021 for a sum of £5 million.[10]
The park was set to receive a major rebrand for the 2022 season, with a new logo, new mascot and name altercation to 'Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park'. The 2022 season would see 2 new family-thrill rides and 3 further attractions, still focused around the Under 12s market. The park also introduced an extensive new entertainment program and completely overhauled the food & beverage line up, with multiple new outlets and vegan options.[11]
Roller coasters
Present
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caterpillar | D.P.V. Rides | Kiddie | 2003 | Operating |
| Ladybird | Zierer | Kiddie | 1993 | Operating |
Past
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batflyer | Caripro | Suspended | 1996 | 2002 | Relocated to World in Miniature |
| Grizzly Bear | Pinfari | Sit-Down | 2004 | 2008 | Travelling Netherlands |
| Raptor Attack | Schwarzkopf | Enclosed | 1987 | 2019 | Relocated to Cotaland |
| Soopa Loopa | Soquet | Sit-Down | 1988 | 1994 | Relocated to American Adventure Theme Park |
| The Ultimate | Big Country Motioneering / Self-built | Terrain | July 17, 1991 | 2019 | Demolished in 2023.[12] |
| The Rocket | Interpark | Sit-Down | 2024 | 2024 | Unknown |
| Twister | Reverchon | Spinning Wild Mouse | 2001 | 2019 | Travelling UK |
| Viper | Schwarzkopf | Sit-Down | 1996 | 2001 | Relocated to Loudoun Castle |
Attractions
Operating
Closed
References
- ↑ "Queensborough in the black after 13 years". The Independent.
- ↑ "All the fun of the fair..." The Guardian.
- ↑ Hill, Nick (15 June 2017). "Sale completed of North Yorkshire theme park Lightwater Valley". BDaily News. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ↑ Godfrey, Ron. "Lightwater Valley invests £1.2 million in Skeleton Cove". The Press. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ↑ "New at Lightwater Valley". ThemeParks-UK. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ↑ "Livingstone Leisure Acquires North Yorkshire Theme Park". InterPark. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ↑ "We are reopening!". Lightwater Valley.
- ↑ "Lightwater Valley set to broaden offering for young families in 2021". Lightwater Valley. 1 February 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ↑ Keller, Mark (6 February 2021). "Lightwater Valley: Europas längste Achterbahn bleibt 2021 geschlossen". Parkerlebnis.de. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ↑ "Lightwater Valley sold to Brighton Pier Group". Ride Rater. 2021-06-17. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ↑ https://www.lightwatervalley.co.uk/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://twitter.com/merlins_bearduk/status/1622032270931394565.
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External links
- Lightwater Valley on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
