A UK rollercoaster that once held the title as the longest in the world is set to be taken down, its owners have confirmed.
When it opened back in 1991, the 107ft tall steel coaster was the longest in the world at a whopping 7,442ft in length.
It wore the crown until 2001, when it was surpassed by the 8,133ft long Steel Dragon roller coaster in Japan.
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Now, however, The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, is set to be dismantled.
Brighton Pier Group PLC, which owns Lightwater Valley, confirmed on Tuesday (10 January) that The Ultimate would be removed from the park, marking the end of an area for the record-breaking attraction.
The ride has been closed since 2019, and now the decision has been made to get rid of it for good.
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While paying tribute to the ‘nostalgic’ status of the iconic ride, chief executive of the Brighton Pier Group Anne Ackord said the theme park was being re-imagined as a family-friendly venue, rather than appealing to adrenaline junkies as it had done previously.
Ackord said in a statement: “We have devoted much time and effort considering the future of The Ultimate. The ride has been out of service for some years now and the process of assessing the viability of bringing it back into use was a long one.
“We are mindful of its nostalgic status and that many of our visitors have fond memories of riding the Ultimate Coaster.
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"Nevertheless, given both the investment required to bring it up to acceptable standards of safety and the re-imagining of Lightwater Valley as a family-orientated Adventure Park, we have decided to close The Ultimate permanently and remove it from the Park.”
She added: “We look forward to welcoming everyone to the new-look Lightwater Valley as it develops and evolves into the north of England’s number one destination for family adventures.”
With no news of whether or not the ride would be relocated, it looks like roller coaster lovers will have to seek thrills elsewhere – like at nearby Flamingo Land Resort, also in Yorkshire.
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Last July, the park unveiled its latest roller coaster, Sik, an ‘adrenaline-fuelled, white-knuckle roller coaster with a stomach-churning, head-spinning 10 inversions'.
It joined the 'Big Six' at the theme park resort, alongside the rides Velocity, Hero, Cliff Hanger, Mumbo Jumbo and Kumali.
It was originally meant to be finished for 2020, however, it predictably experienced delays because of – yep, you’ve guessed it – the coronavirus pandemic.
Topics: UK News, Theme Park
Jess Hardiman