Alton Towers rides: UK theme park's oldest ride to shut after 44 years - here are the other rides we've lost over the years

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Alton Towers' oldest current ride, now known as The Blade, is closing for good after 44 years.

Park bosses said the ride's closure comes at the end of an "unforgettable 2024 season", which also included the return of Nemesis, with its Reborn tag added after extensive refurbishment. The Pirate Ship opened in 1980 with riders taking their seats and then being swung higher and higher into the air.

It was originally located in Fantasy World, now known as X-Sector, and stood on the former site of Submission. In 1997, the ride was renamed The Blade and moved to its current location in the Forbidden Valley section. It welcomed 500,000 riders per year during its service, equating to about 450 riders every hour, the park said.

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Alton Towers said in a statement: “Reaching the end of its technical life, the resort will bid farewell to its current oldest ride, The Blade, with it being retired after 44 years of operation”. The theme park is also making some other changes to its attractions line-up.

Along with The Blade, Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango will also be making its exit, as well as the Alton Towers Dungeon. There are many other rides at the Staffordshire theme park that have shut down from Corkscrew to the Blackhole. Listed below are all of the beloved rides at Alton Towers that have been shut down.

Alton Towers' oldest current ride, now known as The Blade, is closing for good after 44 years. (Photo: Alton Towers)Alton Towers' oldest current ride, now known as The Blade, is closing for good after 44 years. (Photo: Alton Towers)
Alton Towers' oldest current ride, now known as The Blade, is closing for good after 44 years. (Photo: Alton Towers) | Alton Towers

Thunder Looper

Thunder Looper attracted huge crowds all eager to have a turn on the 53mph thriller. It was at the theme park for six years. The last known location of the Thunder Looper was in Brazil's Hopi Hari park.

Corkscrew

Opening to thrill-seekers back in 1980, Corkscrew quickly became one of the most iconic rollercoasters at the theme park. It attracted thousands in its 28 years. It came to the end of its life in 2008 and it was fully removed by 2010.

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Around the World In 80 Days

Open from 1981 to 1992, this ride took riders on a indoor globetrotting route. The structure later formed part of a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed attraction until 2019, when it was restyled as part of the Alton Towers Dungeon.

Twirling Toadstool

The Twirling Toadstool saw kids and adults alike be suspended from an animatronic toadstool on a seat hanging on by chains. The attraction first closed in 2016. And after not reopening for the 2017 season, Alton Towers confirmed it wouldn't return in 2019.

The Beast

The Beast was once the largest rollercoaster in the UK when it first opened years ago. Boasting one of the steepest drops, it attracted a number of thrill-seekers. By 1997, the ride was officially removed.

The Beastie

First arriving in the early 1980s, it was first known as the Mini Dragon Coaster. The ride featured a tunnel and also performed two laps of the circuit each run.

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Energizer/Boneshaker

The ride first opened in 1995. Moving to the more family friendly Ug Land saw a change for the ride and after under a decade at the theme park, the ride closed. By the early noughties, it was gone.

The Flume

Opening in 1981, it took you on a winding trip around the park, before passengers experienced three drops. It remained standing, but not operating in 2016, before being demolished. The site later made way for wooden rollercoaster, the Wickerman.

Ripsaw

It premiered in 1997 and was a top spin ride that attracted many in the decade. Located in the park's Forbidden Valley, it was closed 18 years later ands then replaced by the carnival game Forbidden Sweep.

Black Hole

Black Hole first opened in 1983. Taking place in total darkness, passengers were enclosed in a tent for the space-themed ride.

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In 1988, the ride was dismantled and was closed in 2005. The remaining tent was dismantled in 2012 to make way for the Smiler.

Nemesis Sub-Terra

Nemesis Sub-Terra opened in 2012. The drop tower ride saw passengers surrounded by a monster-filled nest of alien eggs, with live actors playing the part of security guards infected with an extra-terrestrial parasite. It was closed three years later.

The Alton Mouse

This ride was opened by none other than pop star Kylie Minogue. It was a hugely popular in the late 1980s, and ran until 1991.

Submission was a two gondola ride which tilted and swung riders. It was built in 2001, years later but by the early 2010s, we said goodbye to the whole ride.

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