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Amusement Parks: Pleasurewood Hills – a Potted History


Pleasurewood Hills is an amusement park which is located in Corton, a small village situated between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth in Suffolk.
The amusement park opened back in 1982 as the creation of a local entrepreneur named Joe Larter but it has undergone several transfers of ownership since. In fact, for a few years in the mid 1990s, a deal was struck with TV presenter Noel Edmonds to convert part of the amusement park into Crinkley Bottom which was the setting for Noel’s House Party, featuring none other than Mr. Blobby himself!

However, after another couple of ownership changes, in 2005, the amusement park was bought by the French leisure group, Grevin and Vie. Its first major investment saw the introduction of the amusement park’s first inverting rollercoaster, Wipeout, which stands at 120 feet tall and propels thrill seekers of speeds of up to 50 mph, pulling at over 5Gs.

Other popular thrill rides in the amusement park include Enigma which nestles in a crater and blasts passengers along 600 metres of twisted steel. Thunderstruck has you spinning through 360 degrees, leaving you feeling as though your world’s been turned upside down.

The amusement park also features gentler rides for smaller children including Tales of the Coast where you get to explore the mystery of the myths and legends of the amusement park’s underground caverns and all members of the family can compete against each other in the Le Mans karting races.
In addition to the rides, the amusement park offers additional value with 3 great shows included in the admission price. There’s the Castle Theatre spectacular circus show, featuring acrobats, strongmen and a whole host of other death defying stunts. Young children, in particular, enjoy both the sea lions and parrot shows at the amusement park.

Pleasurewood Hills amusement park also has a good variety of catering outlets on site. You can simply enjoy afternoon tea at its Railway Tearooms or enjoy the comfort of its largest sit-down restaurant, the Merry Mariner which, in addition to serving rolls, baguettes and other types of snack, also caters for tasty hot meals accompanied with vegetables. There are other fast food outlets too.

The amusement park also has two large shops selling jewellery, toys and Pleasurewood Hills souvenirs.
Pleasurewood Hills amusement park is open from around the middle of March until early November, although dates are not inclusive so it’s important to check out the website first.

See also:
Amusement Parks: Camelot Theme Park – a Potted History
Amusement Parks : Diggerland – a Potted History
Amusement Parks : Fantasy Island – a Potted History
Amusement parks: Gulliver’s World – a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Lightwater Valley – a Potted History
Amusement Parks : Legoland Windsor – a Potted History

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