Lightwater Valley Reviews and Guide

Located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Lightwater Valley is one of the most popular theme parks in northern England. The park's most famous ride is The Ultimate, which was the longest roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1991 and remains the longest in terms of duration. Alongside this, a number of smaller-scale thrill rides and family-friendly attractions are on offer, including three other roller coasters.

History: Lightwater Valley first opened in 1969 as a fruit farm, evolving into a theme park with the debut of the Rat Ride (now renamed as Raptor Attack) in 1989. The debut of the 7,442-feet-long The Ultimate coaster put the park on the map, although further investments on a similar scale have not been forthcoming. After initially starting out in family ownership, the park has since changed hands twice, most recently to Heritage Great Britain PLC in 2001. The biggest additions in recent years have been Whirlwind (a Mondial Topscan ride) and the Skeleton Cove area (which hosts a number of children's rides relocated from the shuttered Loudoun Castle theme park in Scotland).