We all know Alton Towers is a UK fan favourite theme park. With over 40 rides and attractions, there literally is something for everyone. Whether you tackle the spinning, loop de loop The Smiler, the jaw-dropping Oblivion, the splashtastic Congo River Rapids or the high flying Galactica. But… one of the most recent additions to Alton Towers is the Wicker Man. The UK’s first wooden coaster in 20 years!
Wicker Man – The Story
This wooden roller coaster has a unique story that is chilling but interesting at the same time. A mysterious, elusive group called The Beornen have surrounded Alton Towers Resort, they’re one with nature and like to be cut off from the modern world, hoping for a simpler life.
They’ve constructed a wooden effigy, that towers above them. It may just be a structure…but an ominous drum is heard from deep inside and a feeling of intense heat escapes from it. The feral group hope that if they set fire to it, they’ll achieve enlightenment and eternal wellbeing. The Wicker Man is 6 storeys high, with a head that is half human and half ram. The human side represents the group’s deity that they’re trying to re-awaken and the ram represents the ‘Horned God’.
Intrigued or spooked?
Wicker Man – The Experience
This ride is the first wooden rollercoaster of its kind in the UK in over 20 years! Bringing back the nostalgia of what made theme parks exhilarating a long time ago. It is one of the most impressive immersive experiences in Alton Towers and delivers special effects with wooden coaster technology. Those who dare ride, are the chosen ones who climb aboard the wooden train.
The anticipation builds as you approach the front of the queue. Along the way you’ll see wooden symbols and runes made with twines of wood, it may unnerve you… but that’s the point! You’ll feel the warmth of the fire, hear the screams of carriages of people zooming by and the drums emitting from inside the wooden effigy.
As you reach the front and are strapped into the carriage, get ready for an incredible twisted track that splinters around the labyrinth, with burning embers flittering around and lighting the path. As you zoom across the path that eventually leads towards the Wicker Man, a foreboding sense settles into you as you reach his almighty body, especially as he suddenly and spectacularly bursts into flames. Then you’ll surge through his chest 3 times. Reaching speeds up to 44 mph, you’ll experience 3 drops, 3 times where you hurtle into the Wicker Man’s chest and through 2 tunnels. So, the question stands, are you the Beornen’s chosen ones and will you survive as you the journey through the Wicker Man, or will you succumb to the fire?
The ingenious ride design, coupled with the impressive lighting effects and visual effects, will leave you feeling like you really were in the world of the feral community, and were about to re-awaken the Wicker Man.
Tip: if you can, try to go on the ride when the sun is setting or when it’s nighttime… The atmosphere is electric and the light and fire effects are on another level against the dark skies.
Wicker Man – Ride Statistics
- Wicker Man is in the location of the previous ride The Flume, near Mutiny Bay
- The height of the wooden rollercoaster is a whopping 20m high!
- The length of the track is over 2,000 feet
- You must be 1.2m to ride this immersive coaster
So, on your next trip to Alton Towers, you have a plan – to ride the Wicker Man! If you like rollercoasters that create a sense of fear but are amazingly fun and epic. Then this is one ride you can’t leave without trying.
Looking for more theme park ideas? Head to Thorpe Park and experience SAW – the ride, or how about something light and airy like The Flying Fish? Fancy a short break at a theme park? We’ve got all you need here for your next family fun day out or weekend!
