• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Drayton Manor Park

Dave said:
t is possible the lack of a buyer means its worth keeping it operating, its a relatively low maintenance ride system beyond the odd cable replacement and even leaving it SBNO doesn’t remove all maintenance costs (you can’t neglect a huge metal tower in the middle of your park) and the cost of deconstruction and storage without a buyer isn’t insignificant.
Click to expand...
I think this is the reason it is apparently staying next season. Whether it stays much beyond that or they will just sell it as scrap I really not sure.
 
Plenty of things go up for sale, don't sell and end up living another life.

Twin Looper at the American Adventure was advertised in one of the trade mags at the time after the park was sold in 97, but ended up operating right up to the end. Presumably they just weren't able to find a buyer.

As flats go, the re-installation cost would be pretty high, and with 20+ years on the clock you have to wonder how long it has before its no longer viable to keep it running. It's easy to see why buyers might not have been queueing up.

Whether that means it gets to see out its serviceable life at Drayton Manor or whether Looping Group will decide to weigh it in eventually is another matter.
 
I think it's also interesting that the ride was listed for sale prior to the sale of the park.

If Looping had gone out of their way to list it, that's one thing, but to buy the park, not remove the listing and the test the market whilst determining the direction they're going in, that's something else.
 
Rick said:
I think it's also interesting that the ride was listed for sale prior to the sale of the park.

If Looping had gone out of their way to list it, that's one thing, but to buy the park, not remove the listing and the test the market whilst determining the direction they're going in, that's something else.
Click to expand...
I may be wrong but I thought the park had listed pandemonium before the sale but not apocalypse. I thought that Looping had listed apocalypse after they purchased the park.
 
JAperson said:
I may be wrong but I thought the park had listed pandemonium before the sale but not apocalypse. I thought that Looping had listed apocalypse after they purchased the park.
Click to expand...
I know Pandemonium has been on sale for years now. Not sure about Apocalypse though.
 
On a different note; if anyone on here is local to Drayton Manor, what is the pedestrian route into Drayton Manor from Wilnecote train station like?

I only ask because after doing a little research, I discovered that the CrossCountry train service to Nottingham that I occasionally take to university from my local station (for reference, the station I get off at to go to uni is Cheltenham Spa) goes directly to both Wilnecote and Tamworth train stations, so in theory, I could reach Drayton Manor on the train without having to change!

After having done a little research, I could catch a train that would get me into Wilnecote at 9:04am, and the walk to Drayton Manor itself is 41 minutes and 1.9 miles according to Apple Maps (for reference, the walk I do now from Cheltenham Spa to my uni campus apparently takes 27 minutes and is 1.2 miles), so I could get there around 15 minutes before opening time. If you’re wondering why I say Wilnecote instead of Tamworth, a look on Maps reveals that Wilnecote is actually closer!

With that in mind, I’m actually pondering taking a solo train trip to Drayton Manor at some point in 2022, probably during either the Easter or summer holidays (as the uni holidays are longer, I thought I could take advantage and go when the kids are in school); next year will mark 4 years since the last time I went, and there is some stuff I didn’t get on last time, like Stormforce 10, Maelstrom (although this one might be dependant on how my nausea tolerance is feeling based on Cyclonator at Paultons) and The Haunting! And I’ll admit that the fact I can reach Drayton Manor via such a convenient direct train was very tempting, too; I thought it might be a nice test of getting to parks via public transport after my first solo park visit to Thorpe Park went so well last month!

Does anyone on here have experience of the pedestrian route into Drayton Manor from Wilnecote train station?
 
Not the answer you wanted but last year I got the train to Tamworth and a taxi from the station cost me £10, got the guys business card and called for pick up after park close (cost the same).

Obviously it added an extra cost but it still worked out cheaper doing that than getting the train during rush hour (and then walking) to arrive before the park opened.
 
Pedestrian route from Wilnecote is pretty easy and I've done it before. You can get on to the canal pretty quickly from the train station and that goes almost directly to the park. That's the route I'd recommend as it's actually a very pleasant walk - around 45 minutes.
 
Out of interest, does Drayton Manor have a second entrance near to the hotel? I only ask because the walking route on Apple Maps directs me up Drayton Manor Drive, but drops me at the locational marker of "Drayton Manor Theme Park", which is right near the hotel and on the complete opposite side of the park to where I remember the entrance being... it has me going into the park near the hotel and somewhere called "The Grill Inn". There was another route that got me in through the zoo... either Drayton Manor has a lot of entrances or Maps is going wrong somewhere!

Thanks for the tips so far both; much appreciated!
 
Matt N said:
Out of interest, does Drayton Manor have a second entrance near to the hotel? I only ask because the walking route on Apple Maps directs me up Drayton Manor Drive, but drops me at the locational marker of "Drayton Manor Theme Park", which is right near the hotel and on the complete opposite side of the park to where I remember the entrance being... it has me going into the park near the hotel and somewhere called "The Grill Inn". There was another route that got me in through the zoo... either Drayton Manor has a lot of entrances or Maps is going wrong somewhere!

Thanks for the tips so far both; much appreciated!
Click to expand...
Yes there is a back entrance by the crazy golf.
Edit: beaten to it
 
John_P said:
Yeah you walk down the long road, go past the parking barriers with the hotel to the left and there's a small entrance signposted that brings you onto the park right by Apocalypse.
Click to expand...
Ah OK, so the route Apple Maps suggests is correct! Is that entrance open to day guests, or is it a hotel guests only entrance? And is there an entrance into the park through the zoo, as Maps suggests?

I was only curious because I didn't want to attempt this walk in 2022 and get it completely wrong; upon closer inspection of the walking routes to other parks from their nearest train stations, Alton Towers' walking route (from a bus stop outside) has me walk in through a staff entrance, and Thorpe Park's has me get in via Monk's Walk and through the SBNO Logger's Leap site... I'm up for walking to parks, but I don't want to break the law in the process!
 
John_P said:
I used it last year as a day guest, genuinely didn't realise it wasn't the main entrance until this year.

Was open to leave via at the end of the day as well.
Click to expand...
Ah, brilliant; I'll certainly give that a go, then!

Out of interest, is Drayton Manor well signposted from the station, or should I use walking GPS on my phone?
 
Last edited:
Matt N said:
Alton Towers' walking route (from a bus stop outside) has me walk in through a staff entrance,
Click to expand...
Off-topic but when we stayed at the Chained Oak B&B we walked into Alton Towers by going in the goods/staff entrance and walking along parallel to the road then there is a path into the express parking and can then get to the entrance plaza.

Drayton Manor has at least three entrances, what is now the main entrance next to Thomasland wasn’t always really. The main entrance used to be the one as part of the older buildings near the entrance to the entire site.
 
Ciaran said:
Would be pretty expensive to remove considering the foundations go quite far into the ground.
Click to expand...

I doubt they would remove the foundations, no reason too until it effects build something else there. Most likely, just remove what ever top surface they need to be able to re-landscape the area.

Just think, in 1000's of year to come, archaeologist will dig them up for them :D.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top