Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Thorpe Park
Theme park in Surrey, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Thorpe Park (formerly known as Thorpe Park Resort) is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and features rides, themed cabins, live events, and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster at over 236 feet and 129 km/h. The ride also includes Europe's tallest element and the world's first outer-banked airtime hill. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the United Kingdom's third most visited theme park (1.9 million visitors), behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor.[3]
After the demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930s, the site was used as a gravel pit. In the early 1970s, part of the pit was flooded, creating a distinctive water-based environment intended to support the development of a leisure attraction. Thorpe Park Resort was subsequently constructed on the site in 1979, and its partially flooded setting led to the park being perceived as an island. It has since expanded into a major theme park in the United Kingdom. Major attractions include Ghost Train, a dark ride; Tidal Wave, a large water ride; Vortex, a KMG Afterburner; as well as a number of roller coasters including Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, Saw – The Ride, Stealth, The Swarm, and The Walking Dead: The Ride.
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
Gravel pit and water sports resort
The demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930s resulted in the grounds being converted into a gravel pit, originally owned by Ready Mixed Concrete Limited. RMC extracted gravel from the site for thirty years, from 1941 until 1970, at which point the company began planning to transform the area into a leisure-based visitor attraction. Early concepts proposed theming the development around the "History of the British People as a Maritime Nation", which was to be achieved by flooding the exhausted gravel pits.[4]
In 1975, the Water Ski World Championships were held on the lake.[5] RMC subsequently established a subsidiary, Leisure Sport Limited, to operate the 400-acre (160 ha) park for water sports, leisure activities, and heritage exhibitions, at a cost of £3 million.[6]
The park was formally opened to the public by Lord Louis Mountbatten on 24 May 1979,[4][7] in what would be his final public appearance before he was assassinated later that year by a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA on a fishing boat in Mullaghmore, Ireland. In addition to its lakes and parkland, the site featured a replica Stone Age cave, a Celtic farm, a Norman castle, and a Viking camp, as well as exhibits of historic watercraft and aircraft.[6]
Operation as a theme park
In the early 1980s, the park was redeveloped into a theme park with permanent themed rides and attractions.[8] New attractions were introduced throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Space Station Zero was the park's first roller coaster, opening in 1984.[9] The last major attraction opened by the park's original owners was X:\ No Way Out in 1996. Both attractions continue to operate, now known as Flying Fish and The Walking Dead: The Ride respectively.
Between 1983 and 1989, the park was also used as a filming location for The Benny Hill Show.
In 1998, The Tussauds Group purchased the park. This period saw considerable investment, with major attractions opening such as Tidal Wave in 2000, Vortex in 2001, Colossus in 2002, Nemesis Inferno in 2003, and Stealth in 2006.[10]
In May 2007, the Blackstone Group purchased The Tussauds Group for US$1.9 billion, and the company was merged into Merlin Entertainments, who took over operation of Thorpe Park.[11][12] Dubai International Capital also acquired a 20% stake in Merlin Entertainments.[13]
On 17 July 2007, as part of the financing for the Tussauds acquisition, Merlin sold Thorpe Park to the private investment firm Prestbury under a sale-and-leaseback agreement.[14] The site is operated by Merlin under a renewable 35-year lease.[11] As of 2023, the site is owned by LXi REIT plc.[1]
The resort's target audience is primarily teenagers and young adults, with rides such as Saw – The Ride (2009) and The Swarm (2011) being introduced. In 2014, Merlin also sought to broaden the park's appeal to families with additions including Angry Birds Land and the park's onsite hotel.[15]
On 20 February 2019, Thorpe Park's official Twitter account confirmed the permanent closure of Logger's Leap, a log flume that opened in 1989 but had remained closed since 2015 following the Smiler accident at Alton Towers that year.[16]
In 2021, Thorpe Park announced plans for a new rollercoaster in the Old Town area of the park under the working title "Project Exodus". During the 2023 Fright Nights event, the ride was officially revealed as Hyperia, planned to become the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the United Kingdom, reaching 236 feet (71.9 metres) in height and speeds of up to 81 mph (130 km/h).[17]
2024 revamp
In preparation for the opening of Hyperia, Merlin announced major new investment in the older areas of the park to bring them up to standard ahead of the record-breaking new rollercoaster. This began on 30 October 2023, when Thorpe Park announced that Angry Birds Land would be permanently closing. The park closed for the 2023 season on Tuesday 31 October following the conclusion of that year's Fright Nights event. Over the closed season, the Sparkle Project[18] began, which comprised a large refurbishment of many areas of the park. This included the refitting of several shops, repainting works for Colossus and Stealth, the installation of a new footbridge over Tidal Wave, and various other improvements. On 16 November 2023, the park revealed that Angry Birds Land would be rethemed as Big Easy Boulevard,[19] and on 30 November 2023 Thorpe Park unveiled revitalised branding, including a new logo (the first change since 2008) and slogan. This rebrand marked the retirement of the park's long-used "infinity" symbol (in use since 2001) and its light-hearted An Island Like No Other tagline, instead positioning the park as The Home Of Feel-Good Thrills. The new logo is accompanied by six colour palettes and patterns for marketing materials and merchandise, which the park stated "encapsulate the spirit of Thorpe Park".[20]
The park re-opened for the 2024 season on 24 March, with Big Easy Boulevard opening and construction on Hyperia completed. On 27 March 2024, Thorpe Park announced the opening date for Hyperia as 24 May 2024. The rollercoaster began testing on 16 April and cycled almost daily until its press event on 23 May, when the first public riders were allowed on.
Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest roller coaster, opened to the public on the planned date. However, on the morning of 25 May 2024, the park announced on social media that Hyperia would be closed until 29 May due to "unforeseen circumstances". The re-opening was subsequently delayed until 8 June via another social media update. A further delay pushed the reopening to 12 June, when the ride successfully resumed operations.[21] The coaster would valley twice during the 2024 season, on 19 June and 2 October, but otherwise operated reliably thereafter.[22]
In 2025, the ride experienced significant downtime due to an issue with one of the drive tyres before the lift hill, and subsequently valleyed again on 2 April. This incident occurred under different conditions to previous cases, as the train valleyed during a delay while operating as a test car, unlike the earlier occurrences during morning testing.[23][24]
Remove ads
Rides and attractions
Roller coasters
.jpg)
Thrilling flat rides
Water rides
Family flat rides
Dark rides and other rides
Former attractions
.jpg)
Remove ads
Territories
Summarize
Perspective
In 2024, with the addition of Big Easy Boulevard and Fearless Valley, Thorpe Park was divided into nine "island territories".
Port and Basecamp
Amity
The Dock Yard
The Jungle
Big Easy Boulevard
Lost City
Old Town
Swarm Island
Fearless Valley
- Port and Basecamp includes the turnstile entrance, bridge, the Dome and the playground.
- Amity (originally Amity Cove) opened with Tidal Wave and now includes Stealth, Depth Charge, Amity Beach, High Striker, Flying Fish, and Storm Surge.
- The Jungle contains Nemesis Inferno, Rumba Rapids, Mr Monkey's Banana Ride, and a street of restaurants.
- Old Town was once a country themed area, now a dark and derelict themed area, that houses Saw – The Ride and Samurai.
- Fearless Valley is located towards the back of the park and includes Hyperia.
- Lost City contains Colossus, Rush, Quantum, Vortex, and Zodiac.
- Swarm Island opened as the plaza for The Swarm.
- The Dock Yard (previously named The Depot and Thorpe Junction) is the plaza immediately outside Ghost Train, previously known as Derren Brown's Ghost Train and Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon, and includes the nearby The Walking Dead: The Ride roller coaster, previously known as X and X:\ No Way Out.
- Big Easy Boulevard (formerly Angry Birds Land between 2014 to 2023) is located between Amity and The Jungle, and contains Detonator, Big Easy Bumpers, and Sunset Cinema.[19]
Port and Basecamp
The Basecamp area contains security, the turnstiles, toilets, business and staff reception, Island HQ, and the bridge where guests enter the park. This leads to The Dome, which acts as a hub for the park and houses Vibes Bar & Kitchen (formerly Infinity Bar & Kitchen), an arcade area, The Coffee Shack, toilets, lockers, the Island Gift Shop, guest services, first aid, photo points, and staff areas such as the canteen, The Core, and offices.
The Dome was previously known as Port Atlantis and featured an underwater Atlantean-themed interior. Much of the scenery and underwater effects disappeared following Merlin Entertainments' acquisition of the park and were later removed entirely when the building's theme was changed.
The Dome remains open outside normal operating hours to provide entertainment and dining facilities for guests staying at Thorpe Shark Cabins, including a breakfast buffet.
Amity
Amity is themed as a 1950s American fishing village struck by a tidal wave and opened alongside Tidal Wave in 2000. It was previously named Amity Cove, as still noted on themed signage. The area was expanded in 2006 with the addition of Stealth, set at the Amity Speedway racetrack. It later incorporated attractions from the former Neptune's Beach family area, including Depth Charge and the Amity Beach outdoor water park. Amity Cove and Amity Speedway are no longer physically connected, having been divided by Big Easy Boulevard.
The area also includes attractions from the former European Park area: Flying Fish and Storm in a Teacup (now Dobble Tea Party). Flying Fish was originally located beside Tidal Wave (on the site now occupied by Stealth) but was removed for construction in 2005. It reopened in its current location near The Swarm in 2007 due to popular demand. In 2011, the raft ride Storm Surge was relocated from Cypress Gardens in Florida, United States, prior to its retheming at Legoland Florida. Storm Surge was built on the former site of the Octopus Garden children's area.
The Jungle
The area's main attractions are Nemesis Inferno, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted rollercoaster set within a volcano, and Rumba Rapids, a river rapids ride. The area was previously known as Calypso Quay and includes elements of the former Ranger County family area, including Mr Monkey's Banana Ride, a small swinging ship, as well as shopfronts and restaurants retained from the former European Park area.
The Dock Yard
This area serves primarily as the plaza for Ghost Train, an indoor dark ride, and also contains The Walking Dead: The Ride, an indoor rollercoaster. The area has limited major theming beyond buildings and scenery retained from Octopus Gardens (a now-closed children's area), which were later styled to match Amity, including the Megastore, various buoy props, and a carnival game resembling a cargo ship.
Lost City
The Lost City is themed around the ruins of a newly unearthed Atlantean civilisation, with Colossus as the main attraction since 2002. The area first opened in 2001 with Vortex and Zodiac as its only rides. In 2003, the area was expanded with Quantum (a magic carpet ride) and Eclipse (a Ferris wheel). Eclipse was removed after the 2004 season and relocated to Chessington World of Adventures.[36] It was replaced by Rush, an S&S Screamin' Swing, which opened in 2005. At the end of the 2005 season, Zodiac was removed and replaced with a HUSS Enterprise relocated from Drayton Manor, where it operated as Cyclone before closing due to noise issues. The replacement Zodiac opened without fanfare in 2006.[27]
Old Town
The main attraction in this area is Saw – The Ride, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster featuring a 100 ft (30 m)-tall, 100° beyond-vertical drop. The ride is themed to the Saw horror franchise and is set within a derelict warehouse and sawmill. The flat ride Samurai was relocated from Chessington World of Adventures in 2004.
The area was formerly themed as Canada Creek and served as the plaza for the log flume Logger's Leap, which opened in 1989 as one of the tallest of its kind. The area originally featured a Canadian forest aesthetic, though this shifted towards a Western-style theme over subsequent redevelopments. Logger's Leap operated outside the main plaza and ceased running after the 2015 season; its permanent closure was confirmed in 2019.[16]
The area once housed the main station of the Canada Creek Railway, a miniature railway that transported guests to the now-closed Thorpe Farm area and around the backwoods of Canada Creek. Following the farm's closure, the railway operated only on the backwoods route. It closed during the 2008 season, requiring partial rerouting due to construction of Saw – The Ride and was permanently closed at the end of 2011.[39] Since closure, the trains, station, and former route have been used for several Fright Nights attractions.[42] The area also hosted the Black Mirror Labyrinth experience between 2021 and 2023.
Most rides in this area closed after the 2021 season due to construction work for Hyperia, which opened on 24 May 2024. Parts of the area were redeveloped as Fearless Valley.[38]
Fearless Valley
The main attraction in this area is Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster. Fearless Valley also includes a Burger King, Victorious Games, the Hyporium gift shop, Cloud Nine Treats, and toilets themed to Hyperia.
Swarm Island
Swarm Island is the plaza for The Swarm, a Bolliger & Mabillard wing coaster that opened in 2012. The area was constructed on land reclaimed from the surrounding lakes and is themed as the aftermath of an apocalyptic disaster or alien invasion caused by "The Swarm". Major theming includes a crashed aeroplane, damaged emergency vehicles such as a helicopter and fire engine, a partially destroyed church (which serves as the ride station), and other ruined structures. Many guest facilities are housed within these props, including a shop located within a shipping container and the ride control room situated in an overturned police trailer suspended in the church roof.
Timeline of park areas
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Reef | Port Atlantis | Port and Basecamp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neptune’s Kingdom | Amity Beach | Amity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Octopus Gardens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Park | Amity Cove | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thorpe Farm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada Creek | Old Town | Old Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fearless Valley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranger County | The Dock Yard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calypso Quay | The Jungle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Angry Birds Land | Big Easy Boulevard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Swarm Island | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous themed area
Current themed area
Remove ads
Records held by the park
- Nemesis Inferno is the first inverted coaster to feature interlocking corkscrews (in the same layout).
- Additionally, the world record for "most naked people on a roller coaster" was set on Nemesis Inferno in May 2004.[43]
- The Swarm opened as Europe's tallest wing coaster and the first coaster in the world to feature the "wing over drop".
- Saw - The Ride was marketed as having the world's steepest "freefall" drop,[44] and as the world's first horror movie themed roller coaster. Saw - The Ride was not actually the steepest roller coaster in the world when it opened in March 2009 - Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach had opened the previous year with a steeper 111° drop. However, whilst Steel Hawg's drop has brakes on it, Saw's drop is brakeless - hence it being marketed as having the steepest freefall drop. This particular accolade was taken by The Monster in 2016 (and, as of 2022, is held by Defiance).
- Colossus held the world record for the most inversions on a rollercoaster when it opened in 2002, with 10 inversions. This record was matched in 2006 by 10 Inversion Roller Coaster (an exact clone of Colossus) and then beaten in 2013 by The Smiler at Alton Towers, with 14 inversions.
- Stealth was the United Kingdom's fastest roller coaster, launching from 0–80 mph (0–129 km/h) in 1.8 seconds (as of 2024 this record has been taken by Hyperia) Standing at 205.1 ft (62.5 m), it is also the United Kingdom's third tallest roller coaster (behind The Big One and Hyperia).
- Tidal Wave opened as Europe's tallest water ride.
- Hyperia is the tallest roller coaster in the UK at 236 ft (72 m), and the fastest roller coaster in the UK at 81 mph (130 km/h).[17] Hyperia also contains Europe's tallest inversion at 168 ft (51.2 m), and a world's first outer-banked turn inversion. Thorpe Park also claim that Hyperia has 14.8s of airtime being the UK's most weightless coaster.[45] However, this is debated as they have included a 3s stall in this statistic, which is widely regarded as hangtime and not airtime.
- Stealth is the world's fastest accelerating rollercoaster[46] (0–80 mph (0–129 km/h) in 1.8 seconds) with the announced closure of Do-Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland on 13 March 2024.
Remove ads
Fright Nights
Summarize
Perspective
Fright Nights,[47] formerly styled as "Fright Nites", is Thorpe Park's annual Halloween event and the largest Halloween event of its kind in the United Kingdom. The event has run at the park since 2002, celebrating Halloween with extended opening hours and a range of temporary Halloween attractions. Roaming actors in costume or make-up can also be found around the park.[48] During Fright Nights, the park remains open until 9 pm, with a selection of "scare mazes" available for guests, who usually enter in groups of eight to ten. "Face It Alone" has sometimes been offered as an upcharge experience, in which a guest enters alone and must sign a disclaimer before participating.[49]
In 2013, Fright Nights was relaunched with a horror film theme following a three-year contract with Lionsgate. All pre-existing Fright Nights attractions, with the exception of The Asylum and Saw: Alive, were removed to make way for new horror film-themed attractions.
In 2014, following the opening of the Thorpe Shark Hotel, Thorpe Park introduced two overnight scare experiences. One involved a "night terror" character appearing in guests' hotel rooms during the night, while the other, the "Extra Cut", involved guests being "kidnapped" from their room and chased throughout the park.[50][51]
In 2017, Fright Nights was reinvented with a Walking Dead theme. Two new Walking Dead attractions were introduced to coincide with the premiere of the show's eighth series. Saw: Alive, The Big Top and Platform 15 remained from previous years, with Containment returning as an upcharge attraction.[52]
In 2020, restrictions introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that only two mazes operated: Platform 15 and Roots of Evil, both of which took place primarily outdoors. A wide selection of scare zones was introduced for the first time at Fright Nights, including The Swarm: Invasion on Swarm Island, Creek Freaks Unchained in Old Town, The Fearstival Arena in the Dockyard, The Howling of LycanThorpe High in Lost City (on the site near Zodiac and Rush typically used for a scare maze), and Terror at Amity High returning for its third year on the Stealth Plaza. The Crows were also added as roaming scarecrows, primarily based in key locations but appearing throughout the park and interacting with other scare zones.[53]
– Previous Fright Night attraction. – Current Fright Night attraction.
Remove ads
Thorpe Shark Cabins
Summarize
Perspective
Guests can stay on-site at the Thorpe Shark Cabins, comprising 90 rooms converted from shipping containers and linked to facilities in the adjacent Dome. The accommodation takes its name from its shark-head entrance feature, constructed from recycled park signage.
The hotel initially opened in 2013 as The Crash Pad, operated by the external company Snoozebox. The temporary development was purchased by the park the following year and rebranded as the Thorpe Shark Hotel.[54]
Thorpe Park had originally planned to construct a permanent 250-bed hotel as early as 2006. It would have been located on the opposite side of the lake, on the site of former excavation works, and feature a lakeside bar, health club, and restaurant. Planning permission was granted in 2011.[55]
The development was proposed again following the installation of The Crash Pad to "test market conditions". The park received planning permission to construct the permanent hotel in 2014, with construction planned to begin in 2016 and an opening scheduled for 2018. However, the hotel was never built, and the Shark Hotel’s planning permission was instead extended by ten years.[56]
In 2023, new Swarm, Nemesis Inferno, and Stealth-themed rooms opened in the Thorpe Shark Cabins. They feature bespoke theming and provide unlimited fastrack access to each room’s associated roller coaster on the second day of a stay.[57]
In 2024, new Colossus and Hyperia-themed rooms opened in the Thorpe Shark Cabins.
Remove ads
Operations and developments
Summarize
Perspective
Thorpe Park has a maximum capacity of 15,000 guests.[58][59]
In 2010, the park outlined a five-year development plan, which proposed new roller coasters for 2012; this was later realised with the opening of The Swarm. The plan also included a roller coaster scheduled for 2015 and a permanent lakeside hotel, neither of which has come to fruition. No application was ever submitted for the 2015 development, and the site behind The Swarm remains undeveloped.[60]
On 26 November 2021, the park launched a public consultation website outlining a proposal for a new roller coaster.[61] Leaflets were distributed to local residents, stating the proposal would "involve the removal of existing old rides and replacement with a new roller coaster in the Old Town part of the resort". The public consultation began on 10 December 2021, with plans detailing a 236-foot (72 m) tall steel hypercoaster codenamed "Project Exodus".[61]
An application for planning permission was submitted on 14 March 2022.[62] Objections were raised by Surrey Wildlife Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency, citing concerns regarding biodiversity, pollution and flood risks.[63] The concerns raised by Surrey Wildlife Trust and Natural England were addressed, and their objections were subsequently withdrawn.[64] On 5 October 2022, Runnymede Borough Council approved the application for "Project Exodus"; however, due to the unresolved objection from the Environment Agency, the application was referred to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for approval[65] (under the terms of The Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2021).
On 1 November 2022, a letter sent to Runnymede Borough Council on behalf of the Secretary of State stated that he was content for the application to be determined by the local planning authority.[66] Subsequently, Runnymede Borough Council granted planning permission for "Project Exodus" on 2 November 2022.[67][68]
Construction began in January 2023,[69] with Mack Rides confirmed as the manufacturer. On 17 July 2023, the first supports arrived for the coaster. In August 2023, Project Exodus was confirmed as the UK's fastest roller coaster and its colour scheme of black, gold and white was revealed.[70]
On 5 October 2023, the name for Project Exodus, Hyperia, was announced, and on 6 March 2024, the track was completed.[71] The roller coaster opened on 24 May 2024, but closed the following day. It reopened on 12 June 2024,[72] before a temporary closure on 19 June due to an incident four days earlier in which riders were stranded for an hour.[73]
Remove ads
Transport
There are no direct rail connections to Thorpe Park; the nearest railway station is Chertsey, situated approximately 2 km away.
Thorpe Park is served by the 950 express bus, which departs from Staines railway station,[74] providing connections from London Waterloo and Reading. Other local bus routes serving the park include routes 461 and 446.[75] Additionally, there is the seasonal 951 bus between Watford and Thorpe Park, operating once daily (arriving in the morning and departing in the evening), with two return journeys during Fright Nights.[76]
Remove ads
Incidents
See also
- Merlin Entertainments
- The Tussauds Group
- RMC Group
- "Thorpe Park", an episode of The Inbetweeners in which the main characters visit Thorpe Park.
- Primeval – the third episode of Series 2 featured the park under a fictitious name.
- Staines railway station
- Chertsey railway station
- Alton Towers
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Drayton Manor Theme Park
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads