Blackpool's Big One might not be the biggest for much longer

Blackpool Pleasure Beach's famous rollercoaster The Big One looks set to lose its title as the largest ride in the UK.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Attraction Thorpe Park, near London, has unveiled plans for a new rollercoaster which will eclipse The Big One's 25 year record.

The theme park, just southwest of London near Chertsey, in Surrey, already boasts an enviable selection of 'coasters with big names, with Stealth and Swarm some of its prime attractions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Accoding to theme park website RideRater, local residents were the first to have the plans presented to them at an in-person meeting on Thursday.

The Big One at the Pleasure BeachThe Big One at the Pleasure Beach
The Big One at the Pleasure Beach

The site claims the new planned rollercoaster will be taller than any other in the UK at 236ft (72m).

This would make it taller than the current tallest, The 213ft (65m) Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which has held the record for over 25 years since it was built in 1994.

Details have now been shared online from Thorpe Park's official website with a public consultation launched allowing members of the public to give their feedback on the plans.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a statement explaining the decision behind the new ride a spokesperson for Thorpe Park said:

"The Covid-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on admission numbers to the Resort. Thorpe Park Resort aims to continue to invest in the Park’s attractions to encourage more people to return to the Resort now that the tourism industry has re-opened.

"This key investment and the introduction of new attractions is critical to the Resort’s recovery from the Covid-related impacts on the business.

"With this in mind, we are delighted to announce that we are proposing to add an exciting new rollercoaster to Thorpe Park Resort’s portfolio of world-class attractions.

"This will be the first new rollercoaster at Thorpe Park since the arrival of THE SWARM in 2012."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.