Wild Mouse (Brean Leisure Park)

Wild Mouse was a hybrid wild mouse roller coaster built by UK firm Butlin's that was previously located at Brean Leisure Park in Brean, Somerset, England, UK.

History

Wild Mouse first opened in 1962 at Butlin's Amusement Park in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, UK. It was located on top of a roofed section of the park. In 1977, the park was purchased by the Smart family of Billy Smart's Circus fame, and re-named Smart's Amusement Park.

At the end of the 1985 season, the Wild Mouse closed and was sold to David Pickstone, who had first ridden the coaster when he was a child. It took him around 18 months to rebuild the coaster at Brean Leisure Park. Following reconstruction, the Wild Mouse reopened in Brean Leisure Park in July 1988. When the ride first opened at Brean Leisure Park, the colour scheme consisted of red tracks with white supports. During the 1990s it was repainted with yellow supports.

In the 1989 season, David brought his spare Wild Mouse tracks from Funland Hayling Island.

For the 1992 season, they added a tunnel on the straight track after the s-bend track section.

For the 1993 season, the small dip track was removed and replaced with the straight track, before heading to the brake run.

In 1997, David Pickstone was forced to close the Wild Mouse coaster after the park owner wanted modern steel roller coasters at the park.

Although Oakwood Theme Park was interested in buying the coaster, because they rode it and thought it had great character, unfortunately, it didn't buy it.

Blackgang Chine at the Isle of Wight was interested in buying the ride, but that didn't work as well. and was later put into storage (where parts of it remain today).

Media

On 9 November 1981 the Wild Mouse was featured in the episode of the BBC game show Jigsaw where Mr. Noseybonk rode the roller coaster.

On 26 October 1990 the Wild Mouse was featured in BBC1 Daytime Live with reporter Tony about this ride before closed for the winter season.

On 20 October 1994 the coaster appeared in The First Drop documentary.

Design

Wild Mouse layout with a steel track and wooden supports.

Trains

4 cars. Riders are arranged inline in 2 rows, for a total of 2 riders per car.

Images

Tunnel before heading to S-bend
Rides Loading platform (with David Pickstone)
1979 article features Wild Mouse while it was at Smart's Amusement Park at Littlehampton