There is nothing like taking a leisurely ride through the treetops and, for a brief period in the 80s, the Ferris Wheel allowed you to do just that.
The Ferris Wheel was one of three rides that transferred to the park from nearby Trentham Gardens, Alton Towers' short-lived sister park, when John Broome wound up his amusements at the Trentham estate. The ride has a very distinctive design, and some sources suggest that this might be the only model of this type of Panoramic Wheel that Zierer ever made.
The ride originally operated alongside the Corkscrew, near the entrance to Festival Park, but at some point during 1985 the ride was relocated to the other side of the area, possibly due to the construction of the Skyride. For the rest of its time in the park, it operated near the Beastie until it was removed in 1986.
But the story didn't end there... after leaving Alton Towers, the Ferris Wheel was sold on to M&Ds in Scotland, where it operated for a single season. These days, it seems to have made its way over the ocean and can now be found in the United States at Gilroy Gardens in California.