Latest news with #PaultonsPark
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Paulton's Park announces new £12m Viking-themed world
A Hampshire theme park has announced plans for a £12m Viking-themed world due to open next Saturday, family-owned Paultons Park in Ower also opened new £3.5m indoor dark ride Ghostly Realm of the Vikings, is the attraction's largest investment to date and is aimed at families with older children and teenagers, said Paulton' will include two new rides - Drakon, the park's first inverting rollercoaster, and Vild Swing, which will swirl riders 39ft (12m) in the air. Paulton's Park first opened on 17 May 1983 and is owned and run by the Mancey family, who bought the site of the manor house, its gardens, parkland and lake, which was designed by Capability Brown, at auction in will also see the retheming of the Cobra ride into a bobsled adventure, which will be renamed Raven, and a themed high-capacity restaurant and new playground for younger park also confirmed another major thrill ride would be added to Valgard in 2027, saying only that it would be a "water-related experience". James Mancey, Paulton's deputy managing director, said: "We are thrilled to share our plans for our largest and boldest investment to date, and on the day that we welcomed guests into our brand-new Ghostly Manor."As an independent, family-owned theme park, we're incredibly proud of the investments we make to deliver the very best guest experience."He said the new rides would be "bigger and better than ever before".The park, which spans 140 acres (57 hectares) in the New Forest, is also home to Peppa Pig World, which opened in 2011. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I took my family to the perfect first UK theme park for little kids
AS I wind my way through a spooky mansion in the darkness, a ghostly figure appears. So I point my gun at it and begin zapping away. Advertisement 4 Shooting ghouls on the Ghostly Manor ride at the park Credit: Paultons Park 4 A Peppa Pig meet and greet for Tara and one of the twins Credit: Supplied I'm one of the first people to try the new Ghostly Manor ride, which opened this weekend, at The new £3.5million attraction transforms riders into ghostbusters aboard a four-seater carriage and armed with a 'Phantom Phaser' to shoot down as many mischievous ghouls as they can manage. At the end, each person gets a score and those with the highest make it on to the leaderboard. This spooky experience is for guests aged five and above, with a parent, while anyone over eight can ride solo — and it's unlike any other ride at the Hampshire park. Advertisement Read More on Travel I was visiting with my dad, partner Joe and our two-year-old twins Jack and Sienna. When we weren't hunting down ghosts in the haunted mansion, we were checking out the other toddler-friendly rides or posing next to Peppa Pig and her little brother George. They offer meet and greet sessions outside the schoolhouse twice a day, at 10.30am and 3pm. Advertisement Most read in Family Everything from the food to the baby changing facilities has been designed with children in mind, and the toilets were spacious and spotless. Better still, every loo has a mini seat for little bums, which, coming from a mum about to embark on potty training, is ingenious. Inside Peppa Pig World There's plenty to keep little ones entertained, including several playgrounds and a Peppa Pig-themed soft play area. When it came to the rides, we didn't queue more than 15 minutes for anything. Advertisement Peppa Pig World may be the main draw for many, but there's so much to do elsewhere in the park, too. We loved the dinosaur-themed area, Lost Kingdom, where kids can ride a jeep and travel back in time with The Dinosaur Tour Co Jurassic Expedition, getting up close with prehistoric giants. Jack and Sienna also loved seeing flamingos and rare birds in real life at one of a number of animal enclosures on site. There are penguins too. If you're visiting with older kids, aside from the new Ghostly Manor ride, you should be sure to check out the Flight Of The Pterosaur, a dino-themed suspended rollercoaster. Advertisement 4 Enter the spooky Ghostly Manor, if you dare 4 Watch meerkats in the animal area Credit: Paultons Park My dad and Joe also sneaked off while the little ones were napping to try out the Storm Chaser rollercoaster, a 16-person thrill ride that spins riders around in circles as well as up and down a winding track. Make sure you download the mobile app before you go as it has an easy-to-use interactive map, which is great for getting your bearings. Advertisement It also has information about how long wait times are. Plus, it lists where the nearest food stalls are and what they sell. If you're looking for a place to crash nearby, hotel Voco Fareham Solent has excellent interconnecting rooms that are great for families. It is a 30-minute drive from the theme park and anyone booking a short break at the hotel directly through the Paultons Park website will bag a second day in the park for free. Advertisement And while I won't ever forget the huge smiles on my kids' faces and the excitement in their eyes, the downside now is they won't stop asking when we're going back to visit their mate Peppa. GO: PAULTONS PARK ENTRY: Tickets to Paultons Park costs from £45pp, while anyone under one metre in height goes free. STAYING THERE: Interconnecting rooms at the Voco Fareham Solent hotel cost from £492 for two adults and two children, on a B&B basis and including a second day at the park for free. See
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I took my family to the perfect first UK theme park for little kids
AS I wind my way through a spooky mansion in the darkness, a ghostly figure appears. So I point my gun at it and begin zapping away. 4 4 I'm one of the first people to try the new Ghostly Manor ride, which opened this weekend, at Paultons Park, home to Peppa Pig World. The new £3.5million attraction transforms riders into ghostbusters aboard a four-seater carriage and armed with a 'Phantom Phaser' to shoot down as many mischievous ghouls as they can manage. At the end, each person gets a score and those with the highest make it on to the leaderboard. This spooky experience is for guests aged five and above, with a parent, while anyone over eight can ride solo — and it's unlike any other ride at the Hampshire park. I was visiting with my dad, partner Joe and our two-year-old twins Jack and Sienna. When we weren't hunting down ghosts in the haunted mansion, we were checking out the other toddler-friendly rides or posing next to Peppa Pig and her little brother George. They offer meet and greet sessions outside the schoolhouse twice a day, at 10.30am and 3pm. Paultons Park is the perfect first theme park for little kids. Everything from the food to the baby changing facilities has been designed with children in mind, and the toilets were spacious and spotless. Better still, every loo has a mini seat for little bums, which, coming from a mum about to embark on potty training, is ingenious. Inside Peppa Pig World There's plenty to keep little ones entertained, including several playgrounds and a Peppa Pig-themed soft play area. When it came to the rides, we didn't queue more than 15 minutes for anything. Peppa Pig World may be the main draw for many, but there's so much to do elsewhere in the park, too. We loved the dinosaur -themed area, Lost Kingdom, where kids can ride a jeep and travel back in time with The Dinosaur Tour Co Jurassic Expedition, getting up close with prehistoric giants. Jack and Sienna also loved seeing flamingos and rare birds in real life at one of a number of animal enclosures on site. There are penguins too. If you're visiting with older kids, aside from the new Ghostly Manor ride, you should be sure to check out the Flight Of The Pterosaur, a dino-themed suspended rollercoaster. 4 4 My dad and Joe also sneaked off while the little ones were napping to try out the Storm Chaser rollercoaster, a 16-person thrill ride that spins riders around in circles as well as up and down a winding track. Make sure you download the mobile app before you go as it has an easy-to-use interactive map, which is great for getting your bearings. It also has information about how long wait times are. Plus, it lists where the nearest food stalls are and what they sell. If you're looking for a place to crash nearby, hotel Voco Fareham Solent has excellent interconnecting rooms that are great for families. It is a 30-minute drive from the theme park and anyone booking a short break at the hotel directly through the Paultons Park website will bag a second day in the park for free. And while I won't ever forget the huge smiles on my kids' faces and the excitement in their eyes, the downside now is they won't stop asking when we're going back to visit their mate Peppa.
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Huge new £12m viking land to open at top UK theme park with three new rides
PAULTONS Park has revealed plans for a £12million park opening in 2026. The park, which will be named Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, will be a viking-themed world with Paultons Park's first inverting rollercoaster. Drakon is set to become the park's most thrilling ride with a vertical lift hill and two twists taking riders upside down. There will also be Vild Swing that swirls riders 12 metres in the air, two brand new thrill rides, retheming of Cobra - a famous ride at Paultons Park, into a bobsled adventure. The ride will be renamed Raven to complement the Viking village experience. Valgard also features a themed high-capacity restaurant and new playground for younger visitors to enjoy. The park has also confirmed that there will be another major thrill ride added to Valgard in 2027 - teasing that it will be a 'water-related experience'. James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: "We've opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we're excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027. "Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. "The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly up the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven't forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village." The addition of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings sees the attraction boast a collection of over 80 rides and attractions across its six themed worlds. Valgard joins Midwestern America themed Tornado Springs famous for its thrilling Cyclonator ride and free-spinning Storm Chaser coaster, and the park's dinosaur themed world, Lost Kingdom. Paulton's Park reveals first look at new £3.5million ride opening next month Families at Paultons Park today were also among the first to try its brand-new £3.5million dark ride, Ghostly Manor. The new indoor ride offers five minutes of game play and additional pre-show thrills, suitable for guests from aged five and above – guests can ride unaccompanied from eight years old. The ride features a supernatural world, with many eerie apparitions and haunted artefacts to discover as they journey through the home of paranormal investigator, Dr Kinley. Upon boarding the four-seater ride carriages, guests are armed with their own Phantom Phaser, a device to capture and contain mischievous ghosts and misbehaving spirits. At the end of the adventure, each rider is presented with their ghost-catching score, revealing who has the best ghost hunting skills. 3 James added: "We have worked with the very best technical and theming experts in the attractions business to create Ghostly Manor. "Our teams and partners have done a remarkable job at creating our very own haunted house, brimming with entertaining paranormal activity. "Ghostly Manor really does look like it's always been part of Paultons Park, and I'm sure it's going to be an enormous hit with our guests!" Paultons Park is also the home of UK exclusive, Peppa Pig World and remains one of Britain's top attractions. In March, Paultons Park also revealed plans for its first ever on-site holiday resort with 95 'Scandi' lodges. Plus, it is the UK's best value theme park also has the shortest queue times in the country. 3
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Huge new £12m viking land to open at top UK theme park with three new rides
PAULTONS Park has revealed plans for a £12million park opening in 2026. The park, which will be named Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, will be a viking-themed world with 3 The new themed world will include an inverting roller-coaster Credit: Paultons Drakon is set to become the park's most thrilling ride with a vertical lift hill and two twists taking riders upside down. There will also be Vild Swing that swirls riders 12 metres in the air, two brand new The ride will be renamed Raven to complement the Viking village experience. Valgard also features a Read more on theme parks The park has also confirmed that there will be another major thrill ride added to Valgard in 2027 - teasing that it will be a James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: "We've opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we're excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027. "Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. "The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly up the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven't forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village." Most read in News Travel The addition of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings sees the attraction boast a collection of over 80 Valgard joins Midwestern America themed Tornado Springs famous for its thrilling Cyclonator ride and free-spinning Storm Chaser coaster, and the park's dinosaur themed world, Lost Kingdom. Paulton's Park reveals first look at new £3.5million ride opening next month Families at Paultons Park today were also among the first to try its brand-new The new indoor ride offers five minutes of game play and additional pre-show thrills, suitable for guests from aged five and above – guests can ride unaccompanied from eight years old. The ride features a supernatural world, with many eerie apparitions and haunted artefacts to discover as they journey through the home of paranormal investigator, Dr Kinley. Upon boarding the four-seater ride carriages, guests are armed with their own Phantom Phaser, a device to capture and contain mischievous ghosts and misbehaving spirits. At the end of the adventure, each rider is presented with their ghost-catching score, revealing who has the best ghost hunting skills. 3 Paultons Park also opened a new ride today Credit: Paultons Park James added: "We have worked with the very best technical and theming experts in the attractions business to create Ghostly Manor. "Our teams and partners have done a remarkable job at creating our very own haunted house, brimming with entertaining paranormal "Ghostly Manor really does look like it's always been part of Paultons Park, and I'm sure it's going to be an enormous hit with our guests!" Paultons Park is also the home of UK exclusive, Peppa Pig World and remains one of Britain's top attractions. In March, Plus, it is the 3 The new world will open in 2026 Credit: Paultons
