Let's take a trip back in time.
Perhaps not so far as Medieval times, but perhaps to early 90s when
Tussauds aimed to recreate this olde worlde in Alton Towers.
Aqualand is now in the past and from
1992 the majority of its rides had become classed as part of Towers
Street, which was not really a suitable solution and so the park,
using the courtyard at the centre of the area decided to create
Merrie England. The new area opened in 1994, but you'd be forgiven
for not recognising it from the concept images below.
The park originally had much grander
plans for the area which would have seen the area take on a style
much more similar to the Fabulous Toy Shop in The Land of Make
Believe (now the photo point for the Driving School). These plans
were dramatically scaled back to produce the area which eventually
opened in 1994, no doubt to conserve funds for the Nemesis and
Toyland Tours which were under development at the same time.
The image above of Aqualand is more
recognisable then the concept below as to what exists today in
Mutiny Bay. From left to right we can see Pirates Quest Arcade,
Eastern Express restaurant, Pirate's Galley (Burger King) and the
Stable Buildings (housing Mutiny Bay Donuts and various games).
Interestingly it seems like these
images may have been revisited when designing Mutiny Bay, as the
jousting tent in this concept is on the same site as is occupied
today by Feathers McClaw.
The idea at this
end of the was to reduce the dominance of the Skyride by
building along the edge of the area. In front of the Skyride can
be seen the radio model track neighbouring the gap where until
recently had been the entrance to the Big Top.
Needless to say
these building never got built, leaving the site free for Heave
Ho to eventually be built. Instead the free standing games units
were built in the open area in front.
