Mechanical Memories Magazine

Tales from the Towers:
The Unofficial Story Behind Alton Towers,
Britain's Most Popular Theme Park
by John Sim
A two hundred-year-old mansion, decaying and largely abandoned. A deep,
foreboding valley hosting pretty gardens and dozens of bizarre and unusual
structures. A terrifying plunge into Oblivion, and a mysterious alien beast
known as Nemesis.
All of these things can be found in one truly unique place: Alton Towers.
But how on earth did they get there? The story behind the UK's most popular
theme park is just as thrilling and full of twists and turns as the rollercoasters
that attract millions to the park every year. Prepare to be sucked into a tale of
daring invention, personal tragedy, wanton destruction and brilliant creative
minds .. .
Two hundred years ago, a wealthy earl began the transformation of a
barren patch of land in rural Staffordshire into the site of a stunning gothic
mansion surrounded by eye-wateringly beautiful gardens. Mocked and
ridiculed by his peers for his strange tastes and outlandish ideas, he
nevertheless succeeded in attracting people from far and wide to come and
marvel at his creations.
Less than 50 years later, the house stood desolate and empty. The
genius architect who had helped the earl's successor complete his vision lay
dead at 40, having spent many of his final months incarcerated in London's
brutal Bedlam mental asylum. How had the mighty fallen so far, so fast? It
didn't end there. The earl's descendants fought bitterly over Alton Towers -
and with each other - until finally the near-ruined property was sold into
private hands in the 1920s.
In Tales from the Towers, you can experience what it was like to visit the
estate in its early years as a tourist attraction, when spectacular fetes,
fairground rides and exotic animals were all part of the appeal. Finally, you'll
find out how an eccentric property developer was able to gain control over the
Towers and convert them into Britain's first theme park. You'll learn about the
astounding successes that followed , such as the day that riders queued for
nine hours to ride the park's first major rollercoaster. And your eyes will widen
with amazement as you uncover how the owner's empire came crashing down
when he tried to convert one of London's architectural icons into a truly
astonishing second theme park.
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