Loudoun Castle (theme park)
Encyclopedia
Loudoun Castle was a theme park set around the ruins of the 19th century Loudoun Castle
near Galston
, in the Loudoun
area of Ayrshire
, Scotland
, United Kingdom
. The park opened in 1995, and closed at the end of the 2010 season. The park's mascot was Rory the Lion.
.
On 15 July 2007, 18-year-old ride operator Mark Blackwood died after falling 80 feet (24.4 m) from a rollercoaster he was pushing, which had got stuck. He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock
for treatment but subsequently died there on Monday 16 July 2007. After a two-week trial, the jury found the park owners not guilty of failing to provide proper training and supervision at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Saturday 10 October 2009.
In September 2010 it was announced that the park had closed, Bembom stating that it was "no longer economically viable." There are no clear indications as to the future use of the site, whether the current owners intend to sell the business on as a 'going concern' or if they intend to use the site for other purposes.
a number of rides were for sale, including Twist n' Shout, Goldrush, Barnstomer, Wacky Worm, Crows Nest, Freefall and Jammy Dodgems.
Many of the rides at Loudoun Castle had been operated at Dreamland Margate
in Kent when it was owned by Bembom Brothers. A few of these rides can be seen in the Only Fools and Horses
episode "The Jolly Boys' Outing
", in which the Trotters visit Dreamland Margate.
Loudoun Castle had three roller coaster
s:
Also in the park were various thrill rides
including:
. The future of the site is currently unknown.
Loudoun Castle
Loudoun Castle is a ruined 19th century country house near Galston, in the Loudoun area of Ayrshire, Scotland. The ruins are protected as a category A listed building.-History:...
near Galston
Galston, East Ayrshire
Galston is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland which has a population of 5000 . It is situated in wooded countryside 4 miles up-river from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns. Galston is located in the Loudoun area...
, in the Loudoun
Loudoun
Loudoun is an area of East Ayrshire, Scotland, east of Kilmarnock. The word Loudoun is a derivative of the Celtic Pagan God name Lugus.Loudoun is a parish and is named after the former village which stood north of Galston. The area is commonly referred to as the "Irvine Valley", for the River...
area of Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The park opened in 1995, and closed at the end of the 2010 season. The park's mascot was Rory the Lion.
History
The park was opened in 1995 by a company based in London and has since been through the hands of showman Raymond Codona to its current owner, Henk Bembom's Parkware Ltd. Bembom took over the park in 2002 and invested £5m during his first year there, followed by an additional £2m in the second. Bembom continued to bring new rides and attractions to the park each year, including another £2m worth of investment in 2007. In winter 2006, Parkware moved all their operations and ride stock to Loudoun from their previous storage buildings in MargateMargate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
.
On 15 July 2007, 18-year-old ride operator Mark Blackwood died after falling 80 feet (24.4 m) from a rollercoaster he was pushing, which had got stuck. He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
for treatment but subsequently died there on Monday 16 July 2007. After a two-week trial, the jury found the park owners not guilty of failing to provide proper training and supervision at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Saturday 10 October 2009.
In September 2010 it was announced that the park had closed, Bembom stating that it was "no longer economically viable." There are no clear indications as to the future use of the site, whether the current owners intend to sell the business on as a 'going concern' or if they intend to use the site for other purposes.
a number of rides were for sale, including Twist n' Shout, Goldrush, Barnstomer, Wacky Worm, Crows Nest, Freefall and Jammy Dodgems.
Rides
Dreamland Margate
Dreamland Margate is an amusement park located in Margate, Kent, England. It is currently owned by Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company and is closed to the public...
in Kent when it was owned by Bembom Brothers. A few of these rides can be seen in the Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
episode "The Jolly Boys' Outing
The Jolly Boys' Outing
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1989...
", in which the Trotters visit Dreamland Margate.
Loudoun Castle had three roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s:
- Twist n' ShoutTwist n' ShoutTwist n' Shout was a steel looping roller coaster located at Loudoun Castle Theme Park in Galston, south-west Scotland. It opened in 2003 as a part of the new rides line-up brought in by new owner Henk Bembom. Twist n' Shout remained one of the most popular rides in the park until its closure in 2010...
- a classic looping SchwarzkopfAnton SchwarzkopfAnton Schwarzkopf was a German engineer of amusement rides, and founder of the Schwarzkopf Industries company, which built numerous rides and large roller coasters for both amusement parks and travelling funfairs....
Silverarrow - The Rat - a Maurer SöhneMaurer SöhneMaurer Söhne is a steel construction company and roller coaster manufacturer. Founded in Munich, Germany in 1876, the company has built many styles of steel buildings, ranging from bridges, industrial buildings, and even art structures. While known for building various wild mouse coasters, Maurer...
Wild MouseWild Mouse roller coasterA Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces... - Wacky Worm - a junior coaster by I. E. Park
Also in the park were various thrill rides
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
including:
- Barnstormer - a 140 feet (42.7 m) shot-and-drop tower built by S&S PowerS&S PowerS&S Worldwide is a company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.-History:S&S Worldwide was founded by Stan Checketts as S&S Sports, Inc. S&S Sports manufactures bungee jumping and trampoline equipment. S&S Sports was sold in 1996...
. Re-located from the defunct Pleasureland SouthportPleasureland SouthportNew Pleasureland, previously named Pleasureland, is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The original park operated from 1912 to 2006 and was closed by the parent Blackpool Pleasure Beach company due to what they stated was a lack of returns after investment...
, the ride was officially opened on 23 May 2006 by The MacDonald BrothersThe MacDonald BrothersThe MacDonald Brothers are a Scottish pop rock duo from Ayrshire in Scotland, consisting of brothers Brian and Craig MacDonald. They first rose to prominence in the third UK series of television talent show The X Factor in 2006, and have since gone on to release four albums.The brothers are...
. - Loggers Leap - Loudoun's original log flumeLog flumeA log flume is a flume specifically constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes...
- Black Pearl - an inverting Pirate shipPirate ship (ride)A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
- The Captains Wheel - an EnterpriseEnterprise (ride)The Enterprise is an amusement ride, manufactured primarily by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in 1972. The ride was an adaptation and improvement of a design produced earlier that year by Schwarzkopf, with an increased passenger capacity. Despite not owning the original incarnation of the ride, HUSS was...
ride - The Plough - the largest Chair-O-PlanesChair-O-PlanesThe Chair-O-Planes is a fairground ride that is a variation on the carousel in which the chairs are suspended on chains from the rotating top of the carousel...
ride in the world (originally opertated as The Apollo ride at Margate) - The Crow's Nest - a HUSS TroikaTroika (ride)The Troika is an amusement park ride, designed and manufactured by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in the mid-1970s. The ride is available in both transportable and permanent forms, although due to the total weight and size of the ride , transportable Troikas are unpopular and uncommon...
- The Milk Churn - a HUSS Round-Up ride
- HMS Flora McDougal - a HUSS Swinging Ship ridePirate ship (ride)A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
Closure
Following the closure of the park in 2010, numerous rides have been moved from the park to other attractions in the United Kingdom, including the Black Pearl and other pirate-themed rides to Lightwater ValleyLightwater Valley
Lightwater Valley is a theme park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. The park is perhaps best known for being the home of Europe’s longest rollercoaster - The Ultimate....
. The future of the site is currently unknown.
External links
- Loudoun Castle, official site
- Loudoun Castle Vaults, discussion forums