This week’s photograph was taken by Andy B, capturing The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley in its final days.

Andy B

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One of the most iconic rides at Lightwater Valley has been closed for good after its owners found they could not bring it up to “acceptable standards”.

Brighton Pier Group, which bought the park in 2021, said it had tried to find ways of bringing The Ultimate back into use after it last operated in the 2019 season.

However, the 30-year-old rollercoaster will now be removed from the park, which has shifted its emphasis towards younger children in recent years.

Anne Ackord, chief executive of Brighton Pier Group, said:

“We have devoted much time and effort considering the future of The Ultimate. The ride has been out of service for some years now and the process of assessing the viability of bringing it back into use was a long one.

“We are mindful of its nostalgic status and that many of our visitors have fond memories of riding the Ultimate Coaster.

“Nevertheless, given both the investment required to bring it up to acceptable standards of safety and the re-imagining of Lightwater Valley as a family-orientated adventure park, we have decided to close The Ultimate permanently and remove it from the park.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone to the new-look Lightwater Valley as it develops and evolves into the north of England’s number one destination for family adventures.”

The Ultimate was opened in 1991 and at the time was the longest rollercoaster in the world. It has been at Lightwater Valley longer than any other remaining ride.

Along with the rest of the park, based in North Stainley, near Ripon, it was not opened in 2020 because of the covid pandemic, but unlike the other rides it has not been operational since.

When Brighton Pier Group bought the theme park, it indicated its commitment to keeping The Ultimate going. It also said it was aiming to develop and expand the whole park to create “the premier amusement destination across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas”.

Read more:

• Will Lightwater Valley ever reopen rollercoaster The Ultimate?
• Harewood House to close bird garden in face of ‘£4m bill’

Lightwater Valley will reopen next weekend, with new attractions and activities to attract families of younger children.

The adventure park near Ripon said visitors can expect a new discovery woods, dodgems, new food outlets, a hall of mirrors, an old-school amusement arcade and a new character for children to meet.

Ebor the Lightwater Dragon will meet and greet visitors and have his photo taken.

The friendly dragon is part of the park’s re-brand towards younger children aged up to 12 and will be at the centre of the daily entertainment programme throughout the year.

Discovery Woods will include a lakeside nature trail, a mud kitchen and cloud gazing.

Read more:

• Baby and toddler groups back on after the pandemic
• More children’s activities announced for Ripon Cathedral Spring Show

The park would not be complete without its rides, of which it has more than 35.

Some old favourites like the Eagle’s Claw, Skyrider and the Lady Bird rollercoaster will reopen alongside some gentler rides such as the carousel and the Lightwater Express train.

The Eagle’s Claw

The park has not confirmed if larger rides like the Ultimate will reopen but with its focus now on younger children some rides no longer fit the brief.

Treetop Trails, where visitors can walk across trampoline nets high above the park, will reopen.

Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon opened this weekend after more than four months of lockdown. But much-loved rollercoaster The Ultimate, the longest in Europe, remained shut.

Now doubts have been raised as to whether it will ever re-open, as the park re-orients towards a younger audience.

Lightwater Valley welcomed back families and children with new rides such as Go Safari, Hot Air Balloons, and Treetop Trails saying it was wonderful to have visitors return.

However a spokesperson for the park said:

“Whilst the Ultimate will remain at the Park it will not run for the 2021 season.  This is part of a wider development plan for the Park where Lightwater Valley are re-calibrating the visitor experience to more fully encompass families with younger children. Their aim is to offer an exciting, new series of fun adventures and entertainments for an audience which has so often been overlooked.”

Read More: 

• Lightwater Valley re-opens after lockdown
• Lightwater Valley fined £330,000 after boy thrown off Twister ride

The last few years have seen ups and downs for Lightwater Valley, even before being forced to close because of the covid pandemic.

Lightwater Valley’s strategic report for 2019-20 revealed how an accident in May 2019 accident on the Twister ride was a major reason for a significant fall in visitor numbers.  The company was later fined £350,000 for health and safety breaches.

Following the incident the company said it had :

“Undertaken a root and branch review of all its Health and Safety procedures and controls and implemented a range of new initiatives to maximise safety for customers and staff as well as ceasing operation of all the major ‘thrill’ rides.”