The iconic Swan Boats swam into Aqualand for the 1987 season, replacing the Splash Cats on the Ingestre Lake, which today plays host to Battle Galleons.
The ride was manufactured by Intamin and operated via a series of cables and pulleys, submerged 2.5ft below the water, which gave the Swans the impression of swimming freely around the lake, despite moving along a prescribed course. The boats themselves moved incredibly slowly, which made them an ideal way to take a break from the busy surroundings of the theme park.
The ride is probably best known for its starring role in Alton Towers' advertisements during the early 90s. But despite becoming incredibly iconic for the park, the ride was rarely busy, with many guests preferring to avoid the slow six-minute ride in favour of the park's more thrilling attractions. Indeed, after the ride was removed in 2003, it was replaced by the fast-paced Splash Kart Challenge, a pay-to-play attraction.
But the story didn't end there... Whilst Splash Kart Challenge may have replaced the swans, the entire infrastructure for the new ride floated on the surface of the lake. Beneath the water, the remains of the Swan Boat Ride were left undisturbed for several more years until they were finally removed as part of the construction of the Battle Galleons.
The year after they closed, many of the Swan Boats were either auctioned off or given away, so even to this day it is not uncommon to discover an Alton Towers swan, residing in random fields or as part of a local garden. At least one boat was retained by the park and found a new home backstage, where it would often star in backstage tours.