TR: Robin Hill

[East Coast Mariner]

24)RollGlide by East Coastering, on Flickr

I first went to Robin Hill in 1983, but it is only a very vague memory. I can remember some peacocks, and that’s it. Until recently, the park was owned by Blackgang Chine. However, they put Robin Hill up for sale in 2023 and the park did not open at all in 2024. Thankfully, it was purchased by new owners and is now open for business again.

Peering over the fence before I went in, I saw the new Adrenaline Zone climbing area under construction. Due to open today, 6th June (as I post this TR), this 18m tall tower is an impressive piece of kit. The prices have now been revealed, and although expensive, Zoom (the Roll Glide) at least looks fantastic.

Zebras by East Coastering, on Flickr

Once through the gate, I headed to the Botswana area and Crocodile Creek. Immediately, I liked the feel of the park - wooded, leafy, and with a plethora of play zones. Some of the animal models are from Blackgang Chine’s old Jungleland, which pleased me.

Crocodile Creek itself consists of six electric boats on a lake. I managed to secure my favourite one - the snake - and set sail on the water. There are several different speed settings, for Forward, Reverse and Stop, as you steer yourself around the lake. I found Crocodile Creek to be absolutely brilliant! I’m a sucker for anything with jungle models, and the steerable boats just add to the fun.

CrocodileCreek by East Coastering, on Flickr

21)Crocodile by East Coastering, on Flickr

After that, I decided to watch the first Falconry Show of the day. They spend a lot of time with each bird, and so you don’t see them all each session. For this show, the biggest ones they flew were the Black Kites, which were interesting to see as they swooped around the picnic area that I was viewing it from.

Gardens2 by East Coastering, on Flickr

Gardens3 by East Coastering, on Flickr

Gardens by East Coastering, on Flickr

I then made my way down through the Water Gardens and Chinese Temple. There is a Crazy Golf course amongst the woods here, decorated with cow models. I believe they are from the small train ride that must have been removed recently when Blackgang Chine abandoned the place.

36b)LowerValley by East Coastering, on Flickr

Emerging into the most open area of the park, I walked through The Parting, which is a sunken walkway through the Lower Valley pond. Time was moving on, so after some lunch, I decided on my next priority - the Snake Slides.

Despite the name, they are not enclosed. These metal slides are on a steep hillside - a four-lane wavy slide and two smaller slides one after another. I climbed to the top of the wavy slide, chose my lane and then… nothing. I came to a complete standstill!

Thinking the other slides might be better, I climbed the stairs again and made my way along a high ridge. I slid down the first slide, which was not all that great, but it took me halfway down. I then entered the lower slide, and this was indeed a good one.

22)Slide by East Coastering, on Flickr

23)Toboggan by East Coastering, on Flickr

The Toboggan next door closes for lunch, so I had to bide my time. This is a Wiegand Summer Toboggan Run, and certainly one of the bigger ones in the UK.

Lunch break over, I paid my £1.50 (which I don’t think is bad at all) and took my seat. Up the lift hill I went, and soon I was careering down its 440m of trough. It picked up a great speed, which I trimmed slightly before each corner. I thought the Toboggan was absolutely brilliant! Way more fun than many, many coasters I’ve been on.

If I have one constructive… pointer, it’s that there is not much shade in this Lower Valley. Any kind of shelter there would be a help on a day like this.

One thing I really wanted to experience was the Canopy Skywalk, and so I made my way out of the valley and back into the woods. Here, several attractions merge into one. As well as the Canopy Skywalk, there is the Squirrel Run, which is a series of climbing nets.

Canopy by East Coastering, on Flickr

37)Heights by East Coastering, on Flickr

There is also something called Jungle Heights. Throwing caution to the wind, I climbed through the netted hole and found myself in an infernal maze! Up, down, left, right… there is no direction you cannot go through as you search for the end. At one point, I tripped and rolled down a netted slope! It was hilarious.

Nearing the end of my day, I headed towards the Gift Shop and Exit. There are a couple of other major things I didn’t do - Digger School (where you can operate real diggers) looked great fun, but competes for attention with the Snake Slides and Toboggan. I was also going to give the Glides Indoor Ice Rink a go, but they didn’t have skates in my size.

It had been another very physical day. As well as all the active-type attractions, the park is set on a steep hillside. And with this in mind, the Big Red Tractor Train is very useful if you’re not up for the climb.

There is a very laid-back feel to Robin Hill, though. With friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere, I had never felt more welcome at a theme or adventure park - it was quite possibly the best day out I ever had. The new owners are successfully doing the thing that so many small theme parks seem to struggle with - making shrewd purchases that keep things fresh. My verdict on Robin Hill?

Unmissable.