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Blackgang Chine
Amusement park on the Isle of Wight
Amusement park on the Isle of Wight
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Blackgang Chine |
| image | File:Blackgang Chine, IW, UK.jpg |
| caption | Entrance to Blackgang Chine amusement park |
| logo | File:Blackgang Chine logo.png |
| location | Blackgang, Isle of Wight |
| location2 | England |
| location3 | United Kingdom |
| coordinates | |
| homepage | Blackgangchine.com |
| owner | Alexander Dabell/Vectis Ventures Ltd/The Dabell Family |
| general_manager | Dan White |
| opening_date | 1843 |
| season | March to November |
| rides | 5 |
| coasters | 0 |
| water_rides | 1 |
| slogan | The Land Of Imagination |
| status | Open |
Blackgang Chine is an amusement park in Blackgang, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1843 and is the oldest amusement park in the United Kingdom. The park includes multiple themed "lands", including Pirate Cove, Restricted Area 5, Fairy Land and Village, and Cowboy Town. Owing to the unstable land on which the park is situated, landslides occur frequently, and attractions have been moved further inland to safer ground on several occasions.
History
|Isle of Wight During Blackgang Chine's early years, the area was a steep gaunt ravine, or chine, overlooking Chale Bay, stretching around three-quarters of a mile down to the shore. It was a quiet place, visited by few people other than local fishermen with rumours of a thriving smuggling trade, which has now become a key theme of the park. On 11 October 1836 the cargo ship Clarendon was wrecked at the foot of Blackgang Chine, with the loss of many aboard.
During Victorian times, people were seeking out new healthy holiday resorts, ideally near the coast. As the railway network was getting closer and closer to the south coast, the Isle of Wight was becoming an increasingly attractive holiday destination. Alexander Dabell, the founder of the park, soon realised the business potential of this, trying various ventures. In 1839 Alexander became friends with a publican who had recently built a hotel at Blackgang, which now forms the Chine Cafe (formerly Pirates' Pantry restaurant) and administration offices. After studying the gault and chine gorge, he knew instantly that gardens could be set up that would appeal to the Victorians as a romantic holiday destination. This along with the increasing popularity of the adjacent Sandrock Spring (a chalybeate spring) led to Alexander concluding a lease for the site in 1842 and the establishment of Blackgang Chine amusement park in 1843. The area was then opened up to the public with pathways built down to the ravine and gardens landscaped on the cliffs. Steps were built to give access to the beach from the lower road. Since the park was opened, it has remained a family business, with the descendants of Alexander Dabell owning it ever since. The park's claim to have been established in 1843 would make it the oldest theme park in the United Kingdom. Its initial theme of a general-purpose scenic and curiosity park led to one of its most famous attractions, a large whale skeleton, which had been washed up near the coast of The Needles in 1842, and is still a showpiece today.
The chine today
Owing to continual landslides, the chine itself has been destroyed, and coastal erosion still has a significant impact on the area today. The park's focus now is themed entertainment for families with young children, lifesize animatronic dinosaurs being a noted feature. The same owners run a sister site, the Robin Hill countryside adventure park. Clifftop walks in and around the area give panoramic views of the English Channel and the south-western Isle of Wight coast.
According to a May 2000 talk to the Isle of Wight Postcard Club by the then director, Mr Simon Dabell, the etymology is simply "black pathway" (the original appearance of the chine), but the theme park understandably fosters the interpretation of a smuggling origin. Thus visitors to the park are greeted by a gigantic fibreglass statue of a smuggler between whose legs they could pass to enter.
The Blackgang Chine park is featured in the book Bollocks to Alton Towers, a humorous book concerned with "uncommonly British days out". It was chosen for its apparent eccentricity. Blackgang Chine is also featured in a documentary based on Bollocks to Alton Towers called Far From the Sodding Crowd. In a 2010 interview, star of the Harry Potter films Rupert Grint praised the park, stating that his family's favourite holiday was visiting the Isle of Wight, their favourite attraction being Blackgang Chine.
The park is frequently associated with ghosts, particularly related to smugglers, with several tales of sightings around the park. In 2008 a video was recorded, showing what appeared to be the apparition of a girl in a blue dress.
Geology
Sited below the village of Blackgang at the western end of the Undercliff, Blackgang Chine was, historically, a spectacular ravine (in 1800 a "steep gaunt ravine" descending 500 feet over about 3/4 mi).
The location is based on unstable terrain owing to the underlying Gault Clay strata, resulting in a succession of huge landslips giving the area a very rugged appearance akin to the better known Jurassic Coast. Currently the cliffs are eroding at a rate of about 3.5 metres per year, although this process is not gradual nor consistent. Continuing landslides and coastal erosion swept away the paths in the early 1900s, and have since obliterated the chine itself and repeatedly forced the park owners to move the clifftop facilities inland.
Park guide
The park covers over 40 acres of cliff-top gardens and themed 'lands', containing outdoor rides and walkthrough attractions, plus heritage exhibitions. Below is a list of the attractions currently in operation at the park:
| Attraction | Date opened | Description | Image | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackgang Beach | 2024 | A sensory experience based around a beach, featuring palm trees, washed up cargo and an interactive pool that visitors can walk over without getting their feet wet. | [[File:Chrisbeacharea.jpg | thumb | Blackgang Beach teaser advertising 2024]][[File:Blackgang Chine beach sign.jpg | thumb | Blackgang Beach]][[File:Blackgang Beach rules sign Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | alt=Sign giving rules for the attraction e.g. socks but no shoes, no stunts, children must be supervised, closed in wet conditions | Blackgang Beach rules board]] | ||||||
| The Jolly Robin | 2024 /25 | A ghostly pirate ship ride located in the newly extended Pirate Cove. | [[File:Blackgang Chine sign.jpg | thumb | The teaser poster for the Jolly Robin]][[File:The Jolly Robin swinging ship.jpg | thumb | The Jolly Robin]] | |||||||||
| Extinction | 2023 | A pendulum thrill ride that rotates 360 degrees spinning the rider around as well as a complete 360° loop-the-loop, reaching a height of 18 metres. | [[File:Swingyourpants.jpg | thumb | Extinction seen from below]][[File:Evolution 2023.jpg | thumb | Extinction seen from the entrance]] | |||||||||
| Evolution | 2022 | A 12m-tall drop ride styled as an observation tower, overlooking a Jurassic excavation site and the Restricted Area 5 dinosaur trail. A gondola, seating two rows of five riders, is lifted to the top of the tower before being released in a sequence of rapid drops. | [[File:Mattsupndown.jpg | thumb | Evolution]][[File:Insidetheevolutiontunnel.jpg | thumb | The tunnel to Evolution]] | |||||||||
| Shipwrecked | 2022 | A ride themed as a large wrecked galleon, in which a gondola containing three rows of seats is rotated clockwise and anti-clockwise in a vertical circle, reaching a height of approximately 10 m. | [[File:Agoodship.jpg | thumb | Shipwrecked at Blackgang Chine]] | |||||||||||
| Water Force | 1998 | A 100 ft-long water slide with three chutes, which visitors descend in small boats. Two of the chutes are open and referred to as 'Overflow 1' and 'Overflow 2'. The third is enclosed and known as the 'Plughole'. | [[File:Waterforce.jpg | thumb | Waterforce]] | |||||||||||
| Pirate Barrels | 2006 | A themed version of the traditional fairground teacups. | [[File:Blackgang Chine Pirate's Barrel Ride.JPG | thumb | Pirate Barrels]] | |||||||||||
| Pirate Cove | 2012 | Themed area featuring a pirate play ship 'The Flying Raven' and a French frigate 'L' Mistral'. Onboard are water cannons that can be aimed at the opposing ship. The cove also features the Crossbones play area, opened in 2007, with climbing nets, rope bridges and slides. Several themed buildings surround the pirate ships, including 'The Vortex' (see separate description) and a pirate shooting gallery. | [[File:Pitatescoven.jpg | thumb | Pirate Cove in context next to Crossbones]][[File:Ooharrmehearties.jpg | thumb | The pirate ships]][[File:Playground ship Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | One of the ships at Pirate Cove]] | |||||||
| The Vortex | 2011 | A walkthrough rotating 'trommel' tunnel that creates an optical illusion to disorientate visitors. This attraction was originally called 'The Sailor's Return', and later 'The Cask and Weevil', before being renamed again in 2018. | [[File:Zevortexd.jpg | thumb | Inside the Vortex]][[File:Blackgang Chine Vortex exterior.jpg | thumb | The Vortex]] | |||||||||
| Giant Smuggler | 1987 | A giant fibreglass smuggler located outside the current entrance to the park. | [[File:Barrelmannm.jpg | thumb | The giant smuggler at Blackgang Chine]] | |||||||||||
| Shop and entrance facilities | 1986 | The current incarnation of the shop/bazaar and entrance is based on the inside of a galleon. It was built next door to the old Ship Ashore Inn. | [[File:Ghostslip.jpg | thumb | Inside the current shop and entrance area]] | |||||||||||
| Underwater Kingdom | 2017 | Animated outdoor trail themed as an underwater experience. It is built around the old second modern incarnation of the Smugglers' Cave leading to an audio and visual colourful animated walkthrough experience featuring Giuseppe the talking crab, a giant whale, and others. | [[File:Crabapplehillon.jpg | thumb | Giuseppe the crab at the entrance to the Underwater Kingdom]][[File:Whaleyson.jpg | thumb | The giant whale at the Underwater Kingdom]][[File:Blackgang Chine underwater kingdom.jpg | thumb | Inside the Underwater Kingdom]][[File:Blackgang Chine underwater kingdom sign.jpg | thumb | Entrance to the Underwater Kingdom]][[File:The underwater kingdom blackgang chine.jpg | thumb | Inside the Underwater Kingdom]][[File:Blackgang Chine shell seat.jpg | thumb | The shell seat at the Underwater Kingdom]] | |
| Talking Telescopes | 1990s | Coin-operated telescopes located at Nursery Land and Pirate Cove. A third may have been located near the maze and water gardens but was removed in the 2010s. A narration tells stories of smuggling, folklore, views that are seen, and more. | [[File:Blackgang Chine telescope.jpg | thumb | Talking telescope in Nursery Land 2024]] | |||||||||||
| Cowboy Town | 1994 | Full-scale Old West frontier town including a saloon, jail, covered wagons, undertakers and bank. It also features a café (La Cantina), selling American-style food, and a shop (General Stores), selling cap guns and cowboy-themed supplies. | [[File:Gamblersyeall.jpg | thumb | alt=Three painted wooden figures sitting at a table | A game of cards in the saloon]][[File:Westofpinewood.jpg | thumb | A view of Cowboy Town looking north]][[File:Insidethesaloonbar.jpg | thumb | Inside the saloon bar at Cowboy Town]][[File:Blackgang Chine cowboy town.jpg | thumb | A view of Cowboy Town looking south]][[File:ShootoutA bank robbery in cowboy town.jpg | thumb | A bank robbery in Cowboy Town]][[File:Anundertaking.jpg | thumb | The undertaker]] |
| Restricted Area 5 | 2014 | Themed trail with animated dinosaurs that roar and move when approached by visitors. It was redeveloped from the original Dinosaurland trail and retains several of the original figures. | [[File:Ra35.jpg | thumb | Restricted Area 5 entrance]][[File:Bigmouthstrikesagain.jpg | thumb | The giant animated T-Rex at Restricted Area 5]][[File:Steggy Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | The stegosaurus, one of the original dinosaurs from the 1970s]][[File:Bigneck.jpg | thumb | Restricted area 5]] | |||||
| Mouth of Hell | 1972 | A giant head that can be explored and climbed inside. Originally opened with 'Dinosaurland' but relocated in 2016. | [[File:Zemouth.jpg | thumb | The Mouth of Hell]][[File:Insidethemouthofhell.jpg | thumb | Inside the Mouth of Hell]] | |||||||||
| Dinostore | 2016 | A dinosaur-themed shopping outlet located in the former Hall of Mirrors area. | [[File:Dinostore.jpg | thumb | dinostore]][[File:Inside Dinostore 2025 ..jpg | thumb | Inside Dinostore 2025]] | |||||||||
| Boot Hill | 1976 | A collection of wooden crosses depicting the names of fictional people and their humorous causes of death. Originally in Buffalo Creek it was re-sited and expanded with Boot Hill 2 in 1994 when Cowboy Town was moved. | [[File:Boothill.jpg | thumb | boot hill]] | |||||||||||
| Rumpus Crypt | Located near Rumpus Mansion on the lawn. | [[File:Rumpus crypto.jpg | thumb | Rumpus Crypt]] | ||||||||||||
| Pirate Blasta | Pirate themed water cannon shooting arcade game. | [[File:Piratedhjdj.jpg | thumb | Pirate Blasta]] | ||||||||||||
| iScream | Ice cream parlour catering for humans and dogs. | [[File:IScream.jpg | thumb | iScream]] | ||||||||||||
| Chocobloc | An outlet selling sweet treats. Formerly the Waffle House. The building was originally a house called Brackadale. | [[File:Chocoblocpop.jpg | thumb | chocobloc]] | ||||||||||||
| The Quack Shack | A small arcade containing two crane grab machines and a change dispenser located in Pirate Cove. | [[File:Blackgang Chine Quack Shack exterior.jpg | thumb | The Quack Shack exterior]][[File:Blackgang Chine Quack Shack amusements.jpg | thumb | The Quack Shack interior]] | ||||||||||
| Treasure Cove Shooting Gallery | Shooting gallery with various life size interactive pirate characters located in Pirate Cove. | [[File:The mermaid, Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | Treasure Cove Shooting Gallery exterior]][[File:Pirated.jpg | thumb | Treasure Cove]] | ||||||||||
| Way Out West Shooting Gallery | Shooting gallery with various life size interactive cowboy characters. | [[File:Blackgang Chine Shooting Gallery exterior.jpg | thumb | Way Out West Shooting Gallery]][[File:Blackgang Chine, shooting gallery interior.jpg | thumb | Way Out West Shooting Gallery interior]] | ||||||||||
| Rumpus Mansion | 1993 | An animated haunted walkthrough attraction inside an old manor house, now infested with boggarts, goblins and other creatures from folklore. | [[File:Rumpus2.jpg | thumb | rumpus mansion]][[File:Rumpus1.jpg | thumb | rumpus mansion]][[File:Blackgng Chine Rumpus Mansion.jpg | thumb | Entrance to Rumpus Mansion]] | |||||||
| The Musical Pet Shop | 1992 | A humorous 'pet shop' hosted by Mr Mel-O-Dee with animated singing animals that come to life when buttons are pressed. | [[File:Woofwooftoottoot.jpg | thumb | inside the Musical Pet Shop]][[File:Themusicakpet.jpg | thumb | The Musical Pet Shop exterior]] | |||||||||
| Valley of the Dodos | 2013 | Wooden outdoor trail featuring animated Dodo figures that squawk at passers by. The premise is explained, on attraction signs, as the Dodos having hatched from eggs left behind by a pirate fleet, and uncovered in the park many years later. | [[File:Dodo statue at Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | Valley of the Dodos]][[File:Valley of the dodos at blackgang chine.jpg | thumb | Valley of the Dodos in 2023]][[File:Blackgang Chine dodos and tnt.jpg | thumb | Valley of the Dodos in 2013]] | |||||||
| Crooked House | 1968 | A small walkthrough attraction of disorientating crooked corridors and humorous scenes. | [[File:Crookedouse.jpg | thumb | the new interior of the crooked house]][[File:Blackgang Chine cartoon fairy.jpg | thumb | the new interior of the crooked house]][[File:Crooked House, Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | Crooked House exterior]] | |||||||
| Moby Dick's Revenge | 1974 | Giant whale, inside which jets of water are squirted at visitors. | [[File:Whaleyonareturn.jpg | thumb | The whale resited awaiting a repaint April 2024]][[File:Drrealwale.jpg | thumb | the whale in the 1970s]] | |||||||||
| NurseryLand | 1974 | A wooded trail featuring scenes depicting characters of various nursery rhymes, many of which are animated, including 'The House That Jack Built', a two-level walkthrough where visitors are challenged to find all of the animals and characters mentioned in the rhyme. Characters include Humpty Dumpty, The Three Little Pigs, Hickory Dickory Dock, See Saw Marjorie Daw, Old Mother Hubbard, and an enormous shoe that houses a Little Old Woman. | [[File:New Nursery Land entrance for 2025 ..jpg | thumb | New Nursery Land entrance for 2025]][[File:Toadinaholeinnurseyland.jpg | thumb | The dated toadstool]][[File:Makeawishtree.jpg | thumb | The wishing tree in Nurseryland]][[File:Path at Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | Nurseryland seen from The House That Jack Built]][[File:Blackgang Chine, statue of praying vicar.jpg | thumb | The vicar]][[File:Old Mother Hubbard Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | Old Mother Hubbard]] | |
| Fairyland | 2011 | Themed as a Fairy Village, this area includes the Fairy Castle, with scenes depicting the story of Sleeping Beauty (first opened in 1973, re-sited in 1990, then again in 1994 following the landslip of that year). According to a 1990 guidebook the castle is based on one in Austria. Fairyland includes the sad looking toadstool, a toadstool seating area. | [[File:Theresatoadinmystool.jpg | thumb | The sad toadstool]][[File:FairylandHousesg.jpg | thumb | Fairyland Houses]][[File:Fairy Castle, Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | Fairy Castle]] | |||||||
| Snakes and Ladders | 1990 | A hillside re-imagining of the board game, with steps leading up to large slides at different levels. | [[File:Snakes and ladders blackgang chine.jpg | thumb | Snakes and Ladders]] | |||||||||||
| Captain Jack's | 1992 | A shop located in Pirate Cove selling food, drinks, toys and souvenirs. | [[File:Captainjacksshop.jpg | thumb | Captain Jack's]] | |||||||||||
| New Chimney Pot Walk | 2025 | A new walkthrough featuring the original chimney pots from the first chimney pot walk . | [[File:New Chimney Pot Walk.jpg | thumb | New Chimney Pot Walk]] | |||||||||||
| Arcade | 2025 | A selection of coin operated arcade games, located in the former Picture house / Wight Experience building. | [[File:Arcade entrance 2025 ..jpg | thumb | Arcade entrance 2025]] | |||||||||||
| Talking Rubbish Bins | 1990s | Talking rubbish bins in the shapes of various characters faces asking visitors to deposit their rubbish in their mouths. Each bin has multiple sayings when approached. | [[File:Blackgang Chine iScream.jpg | thumb | iScream talking rubbish bin]][[File:The talking rubbish bin 2023.jpg | thumb | One of the talking rubbish bins]][[File:Talkiebin.jpg | thumb | Talking bin in Cowboy Town]][[File:Blackgang Chine Jolly Robin talking bin.jpg | thumb | Jolly Robin talking bin]] | |||||
| Hall of Mirrors | 2016 (in present form) | The original Hall of Mirrors was one of the first attractions at the park, with ten mirrors from Paris being installed in 1933 in a house called St Catherine's, the childhood home of actress Sheila Hancock. On early park maps it is shown west of the old main entrance. It was housed in a metal corrugated iron structure. | [[File:Blackgang Chine hall of mirrors 2022.jpg | thumb | Inside the Hall of Mirrors]][[File:Hallofglass.jpg | thumb | Exterior of the Hall of Mirrors]] | |||||||||
| Hedge Maze | 1963 | A large hedge maze built on the putting green of the Blackgang Hotel, with viewing platform for spectators to offer help to those inside. Over 5000 privet bushes were used in its construction. | [[File:Themaze.jpg | thumb | The maze looking seaward]] | |||||||||||
| Giant Bug Walk | 2009 | A hillside trail featuring giant arthropod models, along with an oversized garden shed inhabited by talking gnomes. | [[File:Talking gnomes bench Blackgang Chine.jpg | thumb | The talking gnomes seat]][[File:Giant Bug Walk spiders.jpg | thumb | Giant spiders]] | |||||||||
| Whale Museum | 2010 (in current form) | Exhibition which features the park's original 19-metre-long fin whale skeleton (on display since 1843). The ancient wooden wishing chair is also found near the whale's head. | [[File:Wishingonachair.jpg | thumb | The wishing chair]][[File:Blackgang Chine whale museum and skeleton.jpg | thumb | Inside the whale museum and skeleton]] | |||||||||
| Chine valley gardens and musical bridge | 1987 | A short landscaped walkway that meanders through a natural brook incorporating a small bridge playing tranquil music. Located south of Extinction. | [[File:Blackgang Chine musical bridge.jpg | thumb | The musical bridge in the chine valley]] | |||||||||||
| The Disappearing Village Exhibition | 1994 | An exhibition showing the history of Blackgang's landslips in old photographs, newspaper cuttings and models. Later a landslip simulator room was added featuring BBC local news footage of the landslides of 1994. | [[File:Inadarkroom.jpg | thumb | The landslip simulator room at the Disappearing Village Exhibition]] |
Former attractions
| Attraction | Date opened | Date closed | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chine Cliff Steps | 1843 | 1960s | Various sets of cliff steps which lead down to the beach below. | |
| Jurassica Dinosaur Encounter | 2023 | 2023 | This attraction was situated on the site of Cliffhanger. | |
| Pirate Bounty | ? | 2024 | Small arcade consisting of a crane grab machine to win a soft toy. | |
| Chimney Pot Walk | mid 1960s | 2024 | A short walkthrough of various old chimney pots of differing shapes and sizes. The main large chimney pots are laid out to look like a chess set complete with a black and white chequered board. A natural water source also flows through the gardens. | |
| Crackerjack Amusement Arcade | Unknown | 1980s | A small amusement arcade located at the front of the park, in what is now the Chine Café. | |
| St Catherine's Quay | 1984 | 2016 | A maritime exhibition that showcased a genuine lifeboat, the R.N.L.B. Friendly Forester, an operational engine from the 1914 Cox & Co of Falmouth paddle steamer, Compton Castle, a recreation of a longshoreman's 19th century quay and several other maritime exhibits pertaining to the history of the island's ferry services. | |
| Cliffhanger | 2005 | 2022 | A modestly-sized rollercoaster - Cliffhanger once perched 400 feet above the sea and was located close to the cliff's edge. It reached a height of 11 metres before suddenly dropping and then curving and twisting at roughly 35 kilometres per hour. The ride was removed at the end of the 2022 season. | |
| Aviaries | Unknown | 1980s | A small aviary located near the Model Village and Water Gardens. | |
| Fort Buffalo | 1985 | 1989 | A large wooden play-fort featuring turrets, rope swings and walkways, Fort Buffalo was located on a plateau just below Buffalo Creek. | |
| Jungleland | 1978/9 | 2008 | Jungleland was located just south-east of Dinosaurland. | |
| Adventureland | 1970 | 1986 | Closed due to coastal erosion. | |
| New Adventureland | 1986/87 | Unknown | Replaced the original Adventureland area due to coastal erosion. | |
| Smugglerland | 1978 | 2011 | Originally featured the 'Jolly Smuggler' play ship, a tree-top walk, the 'Smugglers Rest' play inn, and the 'Smugglers' Cave', an animated walkthrough with scenes depicting the 1836 Clarendon shipwreck at Blackgang. Smugglerland was originally sited east of the original adventureland . Both were resited and restyled after frequent landslides in the late 1980s . | |
| Fantasyland | 1991 | 2016 | A themed area of the park, completed in 1991 and comprising the attractions 'The Weather Wizard' (opened in 1989), 'The Angry Dragon' , The mice in the toadstool and 'The Licorice Factory'. These attractions were removed and the area completely redeveloped to become 'Underwater Kingdom' which opened in 2017. The Dragon returned to the park for 2019, restyled and situated in a large crate outside of the main entrance. The dragon was named by the park as cedric . | |
| Dinosaurland | 1972 | 2013 | An outdoor trail featuring life size fibreglass dinosaurs. | |
| Blackgang Bluff Observatory And Play Equipment | unknown | 1950s | Located on an area of jutting out coastline marked on maps as Blackgang Bluff . | |
| Buffalo Creek | 1976 | 1994 | A full size walkthrough wild west cowboy town, complete with Indian teepee village . | |
| The Triassic Club | 1994 | 2016 | An animated walkthrough attraction featuring animatronic talking dinosaurs welcoming you to join them for lunch . | |
| Smugglers Cave | 1954 | 2016 | A themed walkthrough with animated displays, depicting the story of the Clarendon ship that was wrecked at Blackgang in 1836. | |
| Fort Tortuga | 1997 | 2007 | Themed pirate fort play area, with slides, climbing nets and raised walkways. Also in the fort was a strongroom containing a locked treasure chest and a giant compass. Hidden around the fort were four compass directions. Entering these into the compass opened the treasure chest, revealing pirate gold inside. This area was replaced by The Wight Experience in 2008. The skull from the entrance of fort tortuga was reused at the entrance to the pirates play area near dodo valley. Two of the bones have been reused outside of the Quack Shack . | |
| Rumpus Clock Tower | 1994 | 2005 | Animated clock tower which formed the entrance to the bridge towards Rumpus Mansion. At fifteen and thirty minute intervals, various monsters and goblins emerged from behind doors. Upon the hour, a trow lifted the roof up, and two giant gargoyles next to the clock rocked back and forth. A surviving goblin can be found at the entrance to the current fairyland . A surviving gargoyle can be found near rumpus lawn by a pathway. | |
| Water Gardens | 1962 | 2017 | A series of ponds, waterfalls and fountains that were originally constructed by the Chine's own staff for 1962. In the 1980s the water gardens also featured six foot high bubble tubes, filled with water and illuminated at night . Due to their eventual proximity to the cliff edge, they were partially redeveloped in 2016. The last remaining pond was filled in during the winter of 2017. From their construction up until 2006, these gardens were one of the main features of the park to be illuminated at night. These illuminations were reinstated from 2015, using new LED lighting. | |
| Floodlights | 1936 | early 2000s | Thousands of coloured light lighting up the chine gardens, ponds and pathways . | |
| Floodlights | 2015 | 2017/18 | A reeboot of the floodlit evenings with modern LED lighting . | |
| Butterfly Walk | 2008 | 2017 | Larger-than-life butterflies, with signs denoting their respective names. | |
| Chine Cascade | unknown | 1970s | An area built around a small planted up natural water cascade featuring garden gnomes . Located near the model village and water gardens . | |
| Magical Music Factory | 2007 | unknown | A walk in experience located in new adventureland . | |
| Myths and Legends | 2001 | 2013 | Film show narrated by Shaw Taylor, telling the stories of local legends, including the famous Giant of Chale, as well as tales of smuggling and shipwrecks at Blackgang. | |
| The Wight Experience / The Picture House | 2009 | 2017 | Film show of aerial views of the island by helicopter. Produced by 'Flying Pictures', who worked on many of the James Bond and Harry Potter films. | |
| Gnomes Garden | 1934 | 2014 | Opened in 1934 to raise money for the local district nurse so they could have a car . | |
| Museum | 1958 | c1984 | A 1960s guidebook states that the museum housed many relics from shipwrecks along the coastline . | |
| World of Timber / Blackgang sawmill | 1981 | 2016 | Opened to the public on Friday April 17, 1981 . | |
| Castle | unknown | 1972 | A precursor to the fairy castle. | |
| Astro glider / Orbiter V | 1987 | 1990 | A 28-seater space rocket ship simulator with movement and internal front screen projections. | |
| Model Village | 1953 | 1989 | Rather than a traditional model village, this was a collection of models of buildings from around the Island, including Ryde Pier, Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle. The scale varied from model to model. The "village" was closed and removed owing to landslips. Photo shows the model of Cowes Castle. | |
| Stocks & Pillory | unknown | 2019 | A set of stocks and pillory ideal for photo opportunities . | |
| Tornado | Never opened | 2004 (removed) | This was removed after many failed attempts to rectify the ride's structure which did not pass required safety tests. | |
| Bazaar / Ship Shop /Entrance | 1842 | 1988 | Originally the bungalow home of park founder Alexander Dabell. | |
| BBC Coast | 2010 | 2015 | Exhibition based on the popular BBC Two television series, with interactive features exploring the geology of Blackgang and the surrounding Isle of Wight coastline. | |
| Bodger the badger & Bronty the brontosaurus.Mr Fox the customs officer. | 1990 | 2018 | New mascots were introduced and made special appearances during the main height of season . After a long retirement at the end of the 1990s both mascots made a one off return on blackgang chines 175th birthday opening day in 2018 for the benefit of the blackgang chine memories Facebook group . | |
| Shipwreck Collection | unknown | 1960s | A collection of various ships cannons, bells, wheels and other items . | |
| Baby Whale Skeleton | 1890s | late 1960s | A real life baby whale skeleton . | |
| Mill Pond Gardens | 1980s | 2017 | A short walk around the fish ponds and grassed areas to the rear of the blackgang sawmill / world of timber exhibit. | |
| Observatory Platform | 1960s | unknown | A tall metal circular observatory tower . | |
| Observatory Platform | unknown | 1980s | A white painted metal rectangular observatory located on top of one of the entrance buildings as seen in an old film . | |
| Observatory Platform and talking telescope | 1990s | 2025 | As of 2025 the Nursery Land lookout viewpoint platform and talking telescope have been removed due to continual cliff erosion in the area . |
Accidents
- In summer 2022, Shipwrecked's hydraulic arm collapsed while the ride was in operation. The park was closed for the rest of the day and the ride was closed during investigations.
Latest developments
In 2010, a new section to the park opened; "Blackgang's Disappearing Village". This was produced in conjunction with the BBC programme Coast, and featured presenter Dick Strawbridge in its video exhibits. It told the story of the island's coast and illustrated the cliff falls and erosion that Blackgang suffered over the years. Approximately half of this exhibition was later removed and converted to the new Hall of Mirrors in 2016. The remaining portion includes the park's original 19-metre-long skeleton of a fin whale, and a simulator designed to mimic the experience of the landslips which occurred at Blackgang.
In 2011, a 'Fairy Land' section was developed adjacent to the Fairy Castle. The following year, the pirate ship play area was redesigned as 'Pirate Cove', with two new pirate ships, and surrounded by other smaller themed buildings, a pirate shooting gallery, and 'The Sailors Return' (now 'The Vortex'), in which visitors walk through a spinning tunnel of lights designed to disorientate.
'Restricted Area 5' opened in 2014; a modernisation of the park's previous 'Dinosaurland'. It features new animatronic dinosaurs which move and roar when visitors approach. Some of the original fibreglass dinosaurs have been retained in the new walkthrough.
In 2015, Cowboy Town was remodelled, with new buildings and scenery. A family of animatronic Triceratops was also added to Restricted Area 5. This replaced the 'Mouth of Hell', a giant devilish 'mouth' that visitors could climb into.
In 2016, The Triassic Club attraction was removed, and the area was redeveloped as a new, larger space for 'The Mouth of Hell', which is now encircled by a new walkway themed with fallen angel statues and demonic sounds.
For the opening of the 2017 'Underwater Kingdom' attraction, the Fantasyland area of the park was completely redeveloped, resulting in the removal of 'The Weather Wizard', 'The Angry Dragon' and 'The Licorice Factory' attractions. The animated 'Smugglers Cave' walkthrough was also removed and a new similar structure was built in its place to form the entrance to the 'Underwater Kingdom'.
As of 2018 and after 56 years, the Water Gardens are no longer part of the park. Demolition of the area began in 2016, with the last of the three remaining ponds nearest the cliff edge being filled in during the winter of 2017.
For the park's 2022 season, two new rides were opened; a drop ride called 'Evolution' and a rotating boat ride named 'Shipwrecked'.
For the park's 2023 season and 180th anniversary a new 18 meter, 360 degree pendulum ride named "Extinction" was opened.
Christmas 2023 saw Blackgang Chine open its doors for the first time ever on selected dates in December. A pop up Christmas shop, complete with tree, decorations and a coffee shop selling Blackgang chine and Christmas themed gifts. The park itself was not open to the public.
References
References
- "Blackgang Chine history". Blackgang Chine.
- E. Stevenson & F. A. Owen (1855). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XyANAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22blackgang+chine%22+clarendon&pg=PR5 "Old Humphrey"]. ''Owen Gladdon's Wanderings in the Isle of Wight'' (via Google Books). Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- Martin Collins and Norman Birch (2000). ''A Walker's Guide to the Isle of Wight''. Cicerone Press. {{ISBN
- "May 2000 meeting report".
- "Coaster Force - Blackgang Chine". Coaster Force.
- (July 2017). "Quirky British days out". [[Virgin Media]].
- (14 January 2010). "Rupert Grint's holiday heaven and hell".
- (8 March 2001). "Is this a Blackgang ghost?". [[Isle of Wight County Press]].
- [http://www.coastalwight.gov.uk/World%20Class%20Coast/wcc_study.htm World Heritage / Geopark Study] {{webarchive. link. (7 January 2009 , Isle of Wight Centre for the Coastal Environment, www.coastalwight.gov.uk (retrieved 3 July 2008).)
- "Blackgang Chine Theme Park - The battle against erosion". invectis.co.uk.
- "Attractions at Blackgang Chine". Blackgang Chine.
- "Blackgang Chine Fantasy Park".
- (2023-03-24). "Blackgang Chine to open new 360-degree rotation ride called Extinction".
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