Unexplored Alton Towers

[Alastair]

Im with you on the towers - I would like to know too..

Re the Swiss cottage, if you turn left just before the towers follow the path for about 100 yards and you will reach it.

IF you are walking up to hex, from the lawns, just before you go under the archway (that goes up to hex & DF), that is where you turn left. You can actually see on on Google street view.

Its on the bank of the valley with its back facing dark forest. You can see it clearly from the skyride going towards DF station from FV.

Lastly, could someone enlighten me where the shortcut from DF to Xsector is please. ( though the towers I imagine, ) I've tried to find it a few times now. Does it come out through the servants tunnel (xsector side)?

EDIT - pictures say 1000 words & all that...

The shortcut really isn't worth it. It involves walking through Her Ladyship's Gardens, then through the Towers and out of the West entrance through the Servants Tunnel yes. It's just as quick to walk around the normal path IMO.

EDIT - The Swiss Cottage can be found on Google Streetview here: http://goo.gl/maps/68fbm

 

[Wilsy]

Might sounds stupid, but...

What part of the towers are actually open to the public, and how do you access them? How do you get up to the flag tower? Is it by Hex or the passage way near behind Oblivion (as you are leaving X Sector heading towards the towers)? Also whereabouts is the Swiss Cottage in the gardens?

The flag tower is near Merlin Studios and not publically accessible mainly due to it just being a phone mast these days.

 

[DiogoJ42]

As far as getting in to the rest of the Towers goes, the entrance and exit of the TotT maze are the best ways in. (there are probably more I don't know of). However, if The Sanctury is still there I don't know how much will be open.

 

[Thomas]

Daft question, what's the house that you can see from X Sector?

 

[Earthwürm]

One of the Team south green rooms these days

Edit: I was told that it used to be staff accommodation at one point but I don't know if that's true.

 

[Thomas]

So it is owned by Alton Towers? Why does it look like a house?

 

[Earthwürm]

Yes, if were talking about the one behind oblivion. It is a house, but inside its converted to a staff room with a smoking area in the garden. Not sure what is upstairs though, you can go up there I just never had any reason to

 

[Towseriv]

So it is owned by Alton Towers? Why does it look like a house?

It looks like a house because it used to be someones house. staff accomadation like has been said before but more like when they had staff on site all year around.

 

[Alastair]

So it is owned by Alton Towers? Why does it look like a house?

Would be hilarious (and amazing) if someone actually lived there

 

[Towseriv]

So it is owned by Alton Towers? Why does it look like a house?

Would be hilarious (and amazing) if someone actually lived there

I'm sure it was still lived in in 1997, may have been earlier, I have vague memories of a family car and none uniformed people in the garden. I think I assumed it had been a house given to a staff member to stay in in thier retirement back when things like that were done.

 

[Dave]

Yes, if were talking about the one behind oblivion. It is a house, but inside its converted to a staff room with a smoking area in the garden. Not sure what is upstairs though, you can go up there I just never had any reason to

Upstairs is offices, probably where some managers laze around all day

 

[MiserableMonkey]

I've been trying to find King "Ina's Rock" for a little while on Google Maps, using old park maps etc but I've failed to locate it. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Badgy]

I've been trying to find King "Ina's Rock" for a little while on Google Maps, using old park maps etc but I've failed to locate it. Does anyone have any ideas?

Yes, When I visited this place in the 1980's to do some climbing it was outside the park. When we departed we too a wrong turn and ended up inside the park despite not seeing any fencing or signs, coming out near corkscrew (it was closed season) and exiting through the main entrance onto the Alton road.

UKclimbing show it here.

I do remember at the time we parked at the bottom of the valley as you come out of Alton before climbing up towards towers, From there you follow the valley witht the hill on your left and the river to your right. It was a little way and past the sewage works. There a path leads up the hill a short way until you get to Ina's Rock

As far as UKclimbing state there are no access issues which suggest that it still lies outside the park and therefore would not be accessible from within the park (assuming the whole park is now fenced).

Badgy

 

[MiserableMonkey]

Thanks for that detailed reply Badgy, that's really interesting!

 

[thefatone]

The park is entirely fenced off now - so if it is indeed outside the park, you should be able to access it by walking around the fence boundary.

I've walked from the carpark beside ATH down and around the fence boundary, and ended up on the old Alton railway line. Didn't see anything interesting though, besides the line itself.

 

[DaveW]

One of the little unexplored areas of the park that I always feel like is stuck in the 60s is the gate lodge in Alton Village. There is an obscure path leading to it from the gardens, but it's hard to find as the path branches off in so many directions.

But the lodge itself is a little gem of a find, with very little having changed there at all in the last 50 years it seems.

 

[badlydrawnkelBel]

Fab photos/videos. Just fascinates me abandoned buildings! :*

 

[DaveW]

Just dug up some photo is took in 2007 of the Gate lodge I mentioned in my last post

 

[Squiggs]

Just dug up some photo is took in 2007 of the Gate lodge I mentioned in my last post

That was a good day!

As I recall alongside the lodge's garden there was also the remains of the guard-hut and barrier left over from the last time the gate house was used for vehicular access to the park in the 80s.

 

[DaveW]

There was indeed I have a photo of that too but didn't post is as didn't really show much! Also had a photo of the lodge with your ugly mug covering half the building. Didn't think posting that would be appetites.