Travel back
to medieval times and enjoy family thrills and spills in
this olde worlde area of Alton Towers.
The area
surrounding the Ingestre Courtyard and Lake became known as
Merrie England after the dispansion of Aqualand in 1992. It
first appeared on the Alton Towers map for the 1994 season,
but more as a subsection of Towers Street then as an area in
its own right and it wasn't until 1998 it seems to have
really found its root in the park.
Initially the
area consisted of the majority of the rides that had found a
home in Aqua Land, but these were thinned out and by 1997
the line-up was one which became very familiar over the
years, consisting of the classic Towers attractions; The Log
Flume, Swanboat Ride, Tea Cups and 3D Cinema. The area
became well known as the place to go if your were looking
for food or games due to having the largest selection of
restaurants and sideshows of any area of the park.
2004 saw
big changes to the area with the removal of the Swan Boats
and 3D Cinema. And guests could now get soaked on The Flume
- Unplugged... a rethemed Log Flume, where riders should
watch out for the giant yellow duck and the power shower!
Only one familiar attraction remained as guests could dry
off while spinning on the tea-cup ride. In 2007 the area
also became home to one end on the Haunted Hollow, a spooky
shortcut to Gloomy Wood, which runs along the old train
line.
There
were also still many family games to join in on, practice
your basketball skills to win a prize, state of the art
arcades and the Splash Kart Challenge where you raced one
another on small speed boats, which had replaced the Swan
Boats!
The
range of food available in the area had a great variety
including a barbecue area, doughnuts, Indian food in the
Eastern Express, a McDonald's take-away kiosk and the
Mexican Cantina, which was new in 2006. And for those of a
more laid back disposition you can then wash all this down
in the Courtyard Tavern.
Merrie
England became Mutiny Bay for the 2008 season.
