Hands in the air and…screeeeeeam! From rollercoasters that will give the bravest of you jelly legs to swooping treetop rope swings, England’s got plenty of fantastic adventure parks. Make the most of the last of the summer holidays and head out for some family fun.
Thorpe Park – Best for… feeling the Gs 🎢
Thorpe Park’s Swarm snakes its way 2,543ft through a post-apocalyptic landscape of twisted metal and swinging you harrowingly close to the rotating blades of a helicopter, The Swarm includes five gut-wrenching inversions as you hurtle around with a pull of up to 4.5Gs.
And you make it to the end of the queue without pretending you’ve got a headache, you can brave The Saw. This terrifying ride includes three insane inversions and a beyond vertical 100ft drop. Gulp…
Thorpe Park can be incredibly warm during the summer months, hitting temperatures of 23C in July & August, check the 25 day forecast here. If you’re looking for cooler temperatures, we recommend heading in April or May where it’s around 16C.
Thorpe Park offers a rainy day guarantee where you can return if weather impacts ride availability.
Paulton Park – Best for… Peppa Pig fans 🎡
Aimed at the younger market, Paulton’s Family Theme Park has more than 50 rides and attractions to keep early teens and younger happy. And a certain pig has her own entire world there.
Yep, that’s right; Peppa Pig World is at Paulton’s Family Theme Park. With seven fun rides and play areas, you can even visit Peppa and her family in Peppa’s House.
For those wishing to seek thrills beyond the world of the Peppa pig, Paulton’s Park also offers a good selection of faster tempo rides in the form of the Edge – a giant spinning disc, Stinger rollercoaster and more.
Located in South East England close to the New Forest, Paultons park offers very pleasant weather for a day at the theme park, with an average temperature around 18C in July and August.
Go Ape – Best for… a sky-high walk on the wild side 🧗♂️
Not for the faint-spirited, Go Ape provides a treetop adventure trail of wibbly-wobbly bridges, zip lines and rope jumps. Ending each stage of the course with by flying down the zip wire means you’re guaranteed to go out on an adrenaline high.
Go Ape has grown over the years with now 34 stunning UK locations, Due to the high treelines the weather does not usually effect go ape, the treeline cover gives you shade in the hot summer, or if its raining in the winter, the trees will protect you from getting soaked.
Alton Towers – Best for… screams 🎢
Alton Towers is a legendary destination for thrill seekers. The names of the rides alone are enough to turn your legs to jelly: The Blade, Nemesis, Oblivion, Rita, Ripsaw, Submission and new kid on the block TH13TEEN.
The rides and attractions at the award-winning Alton Towers close for the winter months but open for the autumn and spring half terms.
Temperatures during the Autumn are usually around 15C to 19C and in the Spring they usually rise to 16C to 20C. Find out more averages here
Like most good theme parks, Alton Towers offers a rainy day guarantee when your day out is disrupted by more than an hour of continuous rain
BeWilderWood – Best for… inspiring imaginations 🌲
Go prepared because BeWilderwood can be a muddy one! Their imaginations will run wild as you play on marsh walks and in magical treehouses in the land of Thorny Crocklebogs and Boggles. This 50-acre adventure park in Norwich & Cheshire is great for families.
BeWilderwood stays open until the end of October half-term.
Chessington – Best of… a bit of everything 🦁
How to do everything on offer at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in a day is a conundrum. Before you even step onto your first ride there’s a whole zoo to visit.
Get soaking wet on the Rameses Revenge in the Forbidden Kingdom, or spin until you’re more than dizzy on the Dragon’s Fury in the Land of the Dragons.
Halloween’s a riot here too, with the extra attractions in Halloween Hocuspocus.
Being inland and just outside of London, Chessington can offer some very warm temperatures in the summer, with temperatures on average around 21 in July and August, Temperatures usually dip in late September.
There are some Perks when visiting Chessington in the rain, if it rains continuously for 1 hour or longer and rides are shut you are covered under the Rainy Day Guarantee, on rainy days ride cues are usually a lot shorter.
Lightwater Valley – Best for… roaring rollercoasters and fairground fun 🎠
The signature ride at Lightwater Valley is The Ultimate, Europe’s longest rollercoaster. For six minutes you’ll climb and drop, twist and turn, stomach in mouth. Not every ride is so extreme. The little ones will love the mini Ferris Wheel, magic shows, and spinning teacups. For Halloween, Lighwater Valley becomes Fightwater Valley – an altogether more sinister theme park adventure.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach – Best for… beach-side thrills and spills 🎢
For the ultimate in high-flying, adrenaline-pumping fun, look no further than Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It’s the perfect pick for year-round family fun right on the shores of the world-famous seaside spot. Feeling brave? Jump aboard The Big One, England’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster, and reach spine-tingling speeds of over 85mph.
July and August are the hottest months in Blackpool, with an average temperature of 16C, this is very pleasant weather when riding rollercoasters at Pleasure beach, if you are not a fan of the sun then cooler temperatures usually show earlier on in the year, With an average temperature of 8C in April and 11C in May.
If it rains for 3 consecutive hours during your visit at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, don’t let it dampen your day, you can go back the next day free of charge or half price return any Sunday during the season, check out the rainy day guarantee here.
Find out more – Top 10 Weather Facts – Blackpool ☀️🏖🎡
Legoland – Best for… fans of tiny plastic bricks 🧱
Putting together Legoland Windsor’s 55 million bricks must have taken some doing. Nowhere is the joy of Lego more apparent.
The park is aimed at 3-12-year-olds, but there is much for adults to marvel at too, especially in Miniland. The largest model is the Canary Wharf Tower, made of 200,000 Lego bricks.
Drayton Manor – Best for… a fun-packed day of adrenaline 🐯
Drayton Manor Park is a non-stop action-packed day out for the whole family. With a zoo, theme park and Thomas Land it certainly packs a punch. And can you handle The Apocalypse, voted the best stand-up rollercoaster?
Centre Parcs – Best for…Explore The Forest Lands 🌳
Centre Parcs offer six different locations across the United Kingdom such as:
- Whinfell, Cumbria
- Longleat, Wiltshire
- Elveden, Suffolk
- Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire
- Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire
- Longford Forest, Ireland
All six Centre Parc forests offer 400 acres of forestland complete with lakes, burbling brooks and a number of hiking trails and bridleways. Centre Parcs has plenty to offer, Enjoy a family break with swimming pools, 200 indoor and outdoor activities, restaurants, cafes, swimming pools and much much more.
A rainy day at centre parcs is not an issue, there’s plenty to do indoors, get crafy, indoor adventure, cook up some comfort food or make a splash.
