Graeme
Roller Poster
Pleasurewood Hills - 11 May 2024
Like so many times in the past, I found myself once again in Great Yarmouth. Sitting in a caravan and sipping a drink, I breathed in the sea air and watched the gulls flying above. The next day I was returning to my first-ever theme park, Pleasurewood Hills. I have been visiting since the 1980s, but at this point hadn’t been for a while.
It was a Saturday and the cars were beginning to roll in. I glanced up at Wipeout, which I’d never seen in the flesh before. Although I experienced it when it was at American Adventure, I didn’t realise how much it towered over everything here - on a completely different scale to the rest of the park.
Through the gates, I headed to my old favourite - the Pirate Ship. Sitting a few rows from the back, I wondered how this would feel, as it would be the first large ride I’d ridden for some time. The gondola was full of teenagers, and it made me take stock of how much the world has changed since I first rode this. As the ride was loading, the smartphones came out and they all started taking selfies and who-knows-what else. One chap asked me which team I supported. “West Ham!” I replied, which pleased one of them and caused the others to keep quiet. The boat started swinging and we were soon experiencing those moments of weightlessness so familiar from my youth. It didn’t seem as high or steep as it used to - whether that was just my imagination, I don’t know.
Next up was Cannonball Express. In the slow-moving queue line, I watched the lone train go round and observed the peeling colours on the track. Overall it had the feel of being ancient and unloved, which is a shame, as I was about to find out what a fantastic ride it is. Luckily, I managed to get the front row. We ascended the steep lift hill and viewed Anton Schwarzkopf’s tangled layout. What followed was a completely wild and rambunctious experience.
We rolled to the right and descended into a snaking first drop, then rose into a fan turn. The third drop, like the first, is somewhat floaty and has a great little change of direction. After a fourth drop, we turned right and were thrown to the left. We then thundered joyously through the helices, turned right again and experienced some more strong laterals. Finally, we slammed into the brakes and almost everyone left the train. I didn’t, however, as I was stuck in my seat and the operator had to come and free me with a crowbar.
I had just had my best-ever ride on Cannonball Express. A full-on thriller and near-perfect twister. It is a pity, though, to see it in such a poor state of repair. How long it will remain at Pleasurewood is anyone’s guess, but it would be a shame if it could not be refurbished and have a home somewhere.
Just at the entrance to the park is the Waveswinger, which I can never resist. I think the chairs are smaller than they used to be, though, as I struggled to fit in the seat. We gently soared through the sky - not too thrilling, but a classic roundabout nonetheless. That said, I do have a slight grumble. It is on the site of Canal Boat Ride, which I always used to love in its original form, and to some extent its later version Voyage to Aladdin’s Cave. Just having a scenic waterway here gave the entrance to the park a sort of garden quality, which is now absent. With the trough of the boat ride removed, this area looks rather crude and not put to the best use.
Next I wanted to ride Marble Madness, which is currently under reconstruction. I always find the quality of these Maurer mice largely depends on the calibration of the brakes, so we shall see how it turns out. Either way, they’re putting the work in, so it looks like this one’s here to stay.
Also in this part of the park is the Water Fun Factory, which is not a favourite of mine. Whilst I do occasionally ride a log flume, I don’t go on the ones where you can get wet from another boat’s splash. Instead I chose Moby Dick, which I hadn’t seen running and believed to be a thrill ride. I walked straight on and proceeded to feel a bit awkward as we slowly trudged around in circles.
The Main Street still has the hallmarks of the coastal theme Grévin & Cie implemented in the mid-noughties, which I have to say, is when I became disillusioned with the park. Although the theme itself is good, I always felt that a lot of money was spent not very effectively.
On the right used to be a great little dark ride called Woody’s Fairytale Fantasy. In a very unwise move, it was changed into a ghost train called Hobs Pit. This was so ill-suited to the park, it only lasted four years and they had to alter it to the interactive Rootin Tootin. Whilst I think they’ve done an OK job of salvaging the situation, it is still quite dark and dingy, utilising the claustrophobic corridors of its previous incarnation. It’s also very 2D and the scores weren’t working!
Although Looping Group acquired Pleasurewood Hills in 2011, I must admit it wasn’t until last year that the park started appealing to me again, when they carried out a couple of excellent rethemes. The first of which is the vintage cars, which has been reimagined as Safari. I joined the toucan-adorned queue and clambered into one of the vehicles. We then set out on a brilliant outdoor adventure, with some of the most realistic animal models in the country. Incredible artistry has gone into the rhinos, hippos and elephants, whereas the crocodiles, snake and giraffes could pass for life-size.
Opposite is Giddy Up, which is apparently a retheme of Pleasurewood Ponies. This is again a very good update. The station is like stables for the horses, and the ride takes you past cattle and around a saloon.
The Woodland Express was now calling my name. There is a sign on the station building advertising a new attraction, accompanied by the image of a pig in a muddy puddle - perhaps a tractor ride or junior log flume? The miniature railway itself goes through the woods, past carved stumps and through tunnels. It is easily one of the best rides of its type I have been on.
The Pleasurewood Hills Express narrow gauge railway, which I completed a circuit on for old times’ sake, is more of a curiosity. Split into three segments, the best of which is the easternmost, it doesn’t take you around a great deal of the park, but is nonetheless a very welcome transport ride. I’m not sure I can say the same for the Chairlift. It’s a Pleasurewood classic, but in its current state of operation, has seen better days. Many of the seats were out-of-use, and the queue moved painfully slowly. When we eventually got a seat, we weighed it down so much that the metal scraped along the ground and almost made sparks fly.
Up into the air we went, over the Giddy Up ride and past the Castle Theatre. For various reasons, I didn’t feel like going on Wipeout today, but I have ridden it before (and the one at Pleasure Island). Seeing it from the air, I realised how much space it takes up. It blocks off one of the paths to the west, making that area a cul-de-sac. Whilst I’m sure some people enjoy it, my personal opinion is that it’s too big for this location.
Descending by the lake, I arrived at the western edge of the park, which seemed more idyllic and spacious than I remember. The coaster here will always be “Rattlesnake” to me, but is now known as Eggspress, in keeping with the current (and very appropriate) farmyard theme. The queue line is now in a barn, complete with hens on the rafters.
Sitting near the back, we ascended the covered lift hill. We were yanked down the first drop, then rose and entered an unbanked curving drop, which slammed us to the left. The rest of the layout is not remarkable enough to give a blow-by-blow account, but it was greatly enjoyable. Not surprisingly, the trees are more mature than they were decades ago, and so the ride has become more of a journey around their canopies. Everyone got off the train laughing and smiling, which is surely what it’s all about.
With time for one more ride, I headed for Wavebreaker. Pleasurewood Hills insists on two people per boat, which has always irritated me a little bit. Nonetheless, we clambered into the dinghy and waited for the light to turn green. Once released, we torpedoed down, almost flying into the air over every bump. I got quite a bit wetter than I usually do on this type of ride.
It was time to go home, and I had burnt through six hours very easily. When I was planning this visit, I had expected to conclude that most of the rides here are very old and need replacing. To my surprise, though, I enjoyed most things a lot more than I expected, especially Cannonball Express and Eggspress. I would, however, like them to beautify the park again. Pleasurewood Hills is green and well designed, but several areas have become scruffy and unused. I’m sure it will all be sorted out in time, though, as it seems to me the park is in good hands.
Undoubtedly, though, they will need to modernise their collection sooner or later. I personally think the Vekoma Family Suspended would be a good choice, as well as the Horus model coaster and a Mine Train or something like Big Bear Mountain. I would also love to see the return of an outdoor boat ride or two. They need some high-capacity rides to draw people to the edges of the park. It is not a huge piece of land and a lot is ripe for redevelopment.
Regardless, I am optimistic about the future. Pleasurewood Hills is a beloved East Anglian park, ingrained in the spirit of the region. Seeing how much people were enjoying themselves, it cannot be allowed to fade. I like the feel of the place, and I know I’m not the only one. With a bit of good fortune, it will only be a matter of time until this park is once more upon the map.
Like so many times in the past, I found myself once again in Great Yarmouth. Sitting in a caravan and sipping a drink, I breathed in the sea air and watched the gulls flying above. The next day I was returning to my first-ever theme park, Pleasurewood Hills. I have been visiting since the 1980s, but at this point hadn’t been for a while.
It was a Saturday and the cars were beginning to roll in. I glanced up at Wipeout, which I’d never seen in the flesh before. Although I experienced it when it was at American Adventure, I didn’t realise how much it towered over everything here - on a completely different scale to the rest of the park.
Through the gates, I headed to my old favourite - the Pirate Ship. Sitting a few rows from the back, I wondered how this would feel, as it would be the first large ride I’d ridden for some time. The gondola was full of teenagers, and it made me take stock of how much the world has changed since I first rode this. As the ride was loading, the smartphones came out and they all started taking selfies and who-knows-what else. One chap asked me which team I supported. “West Ham!” I replied, which pleased one of them and caused the others to keep quiet. The boat started swinging and we were soon experiencing those moments of weightlessness so familiar from my youth. It didn’t seem as high or steep as it used to - whether that was just my imagination, I don’t know.
Next up was Cannonball Express. In the slow-moving queue line, I watched the lone train go round and observed the peeling colours on the track. Overall it had the feel of being ancient and unloved, which is a shame, as I was about to find out what a fantastic ride it is. Luckily, I managed to get the front row. We ascended the steep lift hill and viewed Anton Schwarzkopf’s tangled layout. What followed was a completely wild and rambunctious experience.
We rolled to the right and descended into a snaking first drop, then rose into a fan turn. The third drop, like the first, is somewhat floaty and has a great little change of direction. After a fourth drop, we turned right and were thrown to the left. We then thundered joyously through the helices, turned right again and experienced some more strong laterals. Finally, we slammed into the brakes and almost everyone left the train. I didn’t, however, as I was stuck in my seat and the operator had to come and free me with a crowbar.
I had just had my best-ever ride on Cannonball Express. A full-on thriller and near-perfect twister. It is a pity, though, to see it in such a poor state of repair. How long it will remain at Pleasurewood is anyone’s guess, but it would be a shame if it could not be refurbished and have a home somewhere.
Just at the entrance to the park is the Waveswinger, which I can never resist. I think the chairs are smaller than they used to be, though, as I struggled to fit in the seat. We gently soared through the sky - not too thrilling, but a classic roundabout nonetheless. That said, I do have a slight grumble. It is on the site of Canal Boat Ride, which I always used to love in its original form, and to some extent its later version Voyage to Aladdin’s Cave. Just having a scenic waterway here gave the entrance to the park a sort of garden quality, which is now absent. With the trough of the boat ride removed, this area looks rather crude and not put to the best use.
Next I wanted to ride Marble Madness, which is currently under reconstruction. I always find the quality of these Maurer mice largely depends on the calibration of the brakes, so we shall see how it turns out. Either way, they’re putting the work in, so it looks like this one’s here to stay.
Also in this part of the park is the Water Fun Factory, which is not a favourite of mine. Whilst I do occasionally ride a log flume, I don’t go on the ones where you can get wet from another boat’s splash. Instead I chose Moby Dick, which I hadn’t seen running and believed to be a thrill ride. I walked straight on and proceeded to feel a bit awkward as we slowly trudged around in circles.
The Main Street still has the hallmarks of the coastal theme Grévin & Cie implemented in the mid-noughties, which I have to say, is when I became disillusioned with the park. Although the theme itself is good, I always felt that a lot of money was spent not very effectively.
On the right used to be a great little dark ride called Woody’s Fairytale Fantasy. In a very unwise move, it was changed into a ghost train called Hobs Pit. This was so ill-suited to the park, it only lasted four years and they had to alter it to the interactive Rootin Tootin. Whilst I think they’ve done an OK job of salvaging the situation, it is still quite dark and dingy, utilising the claustrophobic corridors of its previous incarnation. It’s also very 2D and the scores weren’t working!
Although Looping Group acquired Pleasurewood Hills in 2011, I must admit it wasn’t until last year that the park started appealing to me again, when they carried out a couple of excellent rethemes. The first of which is the vintage cars, which has been reimagined as Safari. I joined the toucan-adorned queue and clambered into one of the vehicles. We then set out on a brilliant outdoor adventure, with some of the most realistic animal models in the country. Incredible artistry has gone into the rhinos, hippos and elephants, whereas the crocodiles, snake and giraffes could pass for life-size.
Opposite is Giddy Up, which is apparently a retheme of Pleasurewood Ponies. This is again a very good update. The station is like stables for the horses, and the ride takes you past cattle and around a saloon.
The Woodland Express was now calling my name. There is a sign on the station building advertising a new attraction, accompanied by the image of a pig in a muddy puddle - perhaps a tractor ride or junior log flume? The miniature railway itself goes through the woods, past carved stumps and through tunnels. It is easily one of the best rides of its type I have been on.
The Pleasurewood Hills Express narrow gauge railway, which I completed a circuit on for old times’ sake, is more of a curiosity. Split into three segments, the best of which is the easternmost, it doesn’t take you around a great deal of the park, but is nonetheless a very welcome transport ride. I’m not sure I can say the same for the Chairlift. It’s a Pleasurewood classic, but in its current state of operation, has seen better days. Many of the seats were out-of-use, and the queue moved painfully slowly. When we eventually got a seat, we weighed it down so much that the metal scraped along the ground and almost made sparks fly.
Up into the air we went, over the Giddy Up ride and past the Castle Theatre. For various reasons, I didn’t feel like going on Wipeout today, but I have ridden it before (and the one at Pleasure Island). Seeing it from the air, I realised how much space it takes up. It blocks off one of the paths to the west, making that area a cul-de-sac. Whilst I’m sure some people enjoy it, my personal opinion is that it’s too big for this location.
Descending by the lake, I arrived at the western edge of the park, which seemed more idyllic and spacious than I remember. The coaster here will always be “Rattlesnake” to me, but is now known as Eggspress, in keeping with the current (and very appropriate) farmyard theme. The queue line is now in a barn, complete with hens on the rafters.
Sitting near the back, we ascended the covered lift hill. We were yanked down the first drop, then rose and entered an unbanked curving drop, which slammed us to the left. The rest of the layout is not remarkable enough to give a blow-by-blow account, but it was greatly enjoyable. Not surprisingly, the trees are more mature than they were decades ago, and so the ride has become more of a journey around their canopies. Everyone got off the train laughing and smiling, which is surely what it’s all about.
With time for one more ride, I headed for Wavebreaker. Pleasurewood Hills insists on two people per boat, which has always irritated me a little bit. Nonetheless, we clambered into the dinghy and waited for the light to turn green. Once released, we torpedoed down, almost flying into the air over every bump. I got quite a bit wetter than I usually do on this type of ride.
It was time to go home, and I had burnt through six hours very easily. When I was planning this visit, I had expected to conclude that most of the rides here are very old and need replacing. To my surprise, though, I enjoyed most things a lot more than I expected, especially Cannonball Express and Eggspress. I would, however, like them to beautify the park again. Pleasurewood Hills is green and well designed, but several areas have become scruffy and unused. I’m sure it will all be sorted out in time, though, as it seems to me the park is in good hands.
Undoubtedly, though, they will need to modernise their collection sooner or later. I personally think the Vekoma Family Suspended would be a good choice, as well as the Horus model coaster and a Mine Train or something like Big Bear Mountain. I would also love to see the return of an outdoor boat ride or two. They need some high-capacity rides to draw people to the edges of the park. It is not a huge piece of land and a lot is ripe for redevelopment.
Regardless, I am optimistic about the future. Pleasurewood Hills is a beloved East Anglian park, ingrained in the spirit of the region. Seeing how much people were enjoying themselves, it cannot be allowed to fade. I like the feel of the place, and I know I’m not the only one. With a bit of good fortune, it will only be a matter of time until this park is once more upon the map.
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