The top 10 roller coasters in the UK

When it originally opened in 1994, Nemesis immediately won the hearts of roller coaster fans across the globe. Not only was it brand new technology (the world’s second inverted roller coaster)  but it was also totally unique, being dug into a pit in the ground, with track diving through tunnels, over blood-red water, and flipping over the Nemesis creature. It was a true themed, one-of-a-kind, experience.

Fast forward 28 years and 50 million thrill-seekers later, Alton Towers announced that Nemesis would be closing. And that would be the end for many coasters.

Not Nemesis though. It’s back with brand new tentacle painted track, disorientating new effects, state of the art theming elements, an enhanced storyline (complete with actors throughout Forbidden Valley) and the same, world-class, track design, ready to be experienced by the next generation of thrill-seekers.

It may not be the biggest, it may no longer be the most intense – but it’s a full ‘only in the UK’ package. For the ultimate experience, a front row, night ride is a must. Read about how the story of Nemesis has expanded even further at Alton Towers resort with the launch of Toxicator this year

For over 30 years, The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach had a phenomenal run of holding the crown for the tallest roller coaster in the UK. But in May 2024, standing at 236 feet tall and travelling at speeds of over 80 mph, the ‘golden goddess’, Hyperia, became the new owner of the bragging rights for being the UK’s tallest and fastest.

And there’s a lot to brag about. This Mack Rides hyper coaster at Thorpe Park is crazy from start to finish. The lap bar restraint and open train design leaves you feeling very free as you go beyond vertical diving down from the first drop, into the Immelmann element, the crazy outer-banked airtime hill, and the ever-so-slow, hanging upside down, stall turn.

Pretty much every smiling face that comes back to the station has an ‘I’m not sure what just happened, but let’s do it again’ look to it, which I think is a measure of a great coaster.

Hyperia has deservedly rocket to the top of many UK coaster fan’s lists. It’ll likely only get better too as finishing touches are added and the coaster beds in more. It may have been 12 years since Thorpe Park added its last coaster, but Hyperia is certainly worth the wait.

Opening in 2018, Wicker Man was a long-awaited new wooden roller coaster for the UK (the first for over 20 years). Wooden coasters with their dense structures often rely on the ride experience alone – and so this ride from Great Coasters International really ups the ante with its immersive theming and storyline, including the huge, flaming Wicker Man centre stage. Who’d have thought of combining fire effects and a wooden roller coaster?

Set in the stunning Staffordshire park, and immersing guests in the story of the Beornen and the Wicker Man, this is a fun, smooth, re-rideable coaster experience that generations of thrill seekers can enjoy together

It’s amazing how the teams at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Mack Rides managed to create a coaster like Icon and fit it in around all the existing classic rides. Being launched under the Big One’s structure, and diving around the Big Dipper and other great rides at the Pleasure Beach makes this smooth, dual-launch coaster truly unique.

Giving a nice long ride for a UK coaster, the drop down into the second launch and hanging over the top of the non-inverting loop is the highlight for me. Seeing the beach, a stone’s throw away, from that angle, is pretty spectacular!

This isn’t the most intense coaster in the UK. However, you can’t help laughing all the way round and jumping straight back in line. It’s no wonder this regularly polls as a UK favourite of many enthusiasts.

One of the more intense roller coaster on the list, Sik opened at Flamingo Land in 2022 and features ten inversions over its course. Being very similar in layout to Colossus at Thorpe Park; and trumped by the world-record-holding The Smiler at Alton Towers for number of loops, this Intamin coaster has lap-bar style restraints that, for me, make the ride experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

At the crest of the lift hill, you are treated to stunning views over the North Yorkshire countryside before being flung into the relentless, high-speed layout.

Sik joins a nice collection of coasters at the often-forgotten park – including Kumali (possibly the world’s smoothest Vekoma SLC), Mumbo Jumbo (once the world’s steepest roller coaster) and a Vekoma Motorbike launch coaster.

An apocalyptic battle may not be the most cheery theming for a roller coaster – but luckily this B&M coaster is so much fun, there are plenty of smiles to be seen wandering around the park beneath it.

The upside-down view of London from the crest of the lift hill is one of the highlights, before riders plummet into the rest of the course, full of near misses with impressive set pieces and interactions with guest areas. It’s a fun ride, both to experience, and watch (especially the slow inline twist directly over the station!)

See also: Why focusing on thrill-seekers makes commercial sense for Thorpe Park

An absolute classic – and the oldest roller coaster in the UK, originally opening in 1920. There are so many things to love about this ride, but perhaps the most noticeable (and unique) is the on-ride brakeman, who controls the speed of the train. Globally, there are very few of these rides left operating, so we are very lucky to have two examples in the UK (Roller Coaster at Great Yarmouth being the other).

Don’t be fooled by its age and ‘old school’ technology. A backseat ride delivers plenty of airtime and packs a nice punch, leaving most grinning as they exit the coaster to go back around for another ride.

The setting for the Scenic Railway is special too. It can be found at the heart of a fantastic classic, seaside amusement park. Over the years Dreamland has evolved whilst also staying true to its core, becoming a venue regularly used for TV and movie filming, hosting huge music concerts and showcasing art installations. It’s a place everyone should make the journey to experience

This B&M coaster has to be given credit for taking elements from big intense rides, and making them accessible for a younger, junior thrill-seeking audience: Be that the ‘wing-coaster’ style, the launches (initially backwards out of the station), or the forwards/backwards inversion. Layer on some ‘weird’ manoeuvres, like the spiral around the 55ft jaguar shrine – and you’re left with a fun, family thrill coaster.

With the train layout and track design – it’s worth trying Mandrill Mayhem in different seats to experience a totally different ride.

Partnering with Sony Pictures, the Jumanji IP inspires some nice themed elements – like the atmospheric station, the Mandrill-shaped trains, and the jaguar shrine. Showing a good attention to detail, the retail, games and F&B have been impressively themed into this area of the park too.

It’s also great to see that a few years on from opening, the attraction has developed more – as vegetation around the area is turning the space much more jungle-like. I expect in a few years’ time, a ride on Mandrill will be even more thrilling.

Another great ‘thrill-seeker in training’ coaster can be found at Drayton Manor in the form of Gold Rush. Central to the recently opened western themed area, Frontier Falls, this unique ‘lift and launch’ was created by Intamin.

For a roller coaster of its size and scale, has an incredibly low height restriction of 1 metre – allowing young thrill seekers to join the adventure with the rest of their group.

A surprise for many riders, the coaster utilises switch tracks and has two modes. This means that you never know which version you’ll get before leaving the station. Sometimes you’ll crest the first lift hill, but on other occasions will stop, roll back and have a backwards element first.

Alongside the lift hill, there are launch sections, well-themed show scenes, airtime moments and tunnels – making this a really re-rideable coaster for the whole family (Drayton Manor’s refocused target market).

Alongside Megafobia, 2025 has also seen the closure of several other high-profile rides around the world – perhaps the most unexpected was the world’s tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure (New Jersey, US). In 2024, we also saw the re-imagining of Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point (Ohio, US).

Both rides were hydraulic launch coasters – known for their punchy, intense launches – and now something of a rarity, with many newer launch coasters being LSM powered. So, we’re lucky to have a good original model gracing our shores!

Stealth launched (literally) at Thorpe Park back in 2006 and continues to be one of the world’s fastest accelerating coasters. Propelling riders from 0 to 80mph in 1.8 seconds straight up over 200 feet into the iconic top hat that graces the London-park skyline. Look quickly and you can see the city from the top before dropping vertically back to earth. Short but sweet – and one of a dying breed of impressive coasters.