Blackgang Chine

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 The original chine was a steep gault ravine overlooking Chale Bay, stretching around three-quarters of a mile down to the shore. It was visited by few people other than local fishermen and smugglers. 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, and 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 Dabell became friends with a publican who had recently built a hotel at Blackgang, which now forms the Chine Cafe and administration offices. In the light of the increasing popularity of Sandrock Spring (an adjacent chalybeate spring), he speculated that gardens could be set up that would appeal to the Victorians as a holiday destination. Dabell took out a lease for the site in 1842 and Blackgang Chine amusement park opened in 1843, 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. It has, as of 2008, remained a family business, owned by descendants of Dabell. A 19 m fin whale skeleton, washed up near the coast of The Needles in 1842, is still a showpiece today. The chine today Owing to recurring landslides, the chine itself has been destroyed, and coastal erosion 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. Although the etymology is simply "black pathway", the theme park fosters the interpretation of a smuggling origin: visitors to the park are greeted by a gigantic fibreglass statue of a smuggler between whose legs they can pass to enter. The Blackgang Chine park is featured in the book Bollocks to Alton Towers, concerned with "uncommonly British days out", and in a related documentary,Far From the Sodding Crowd. In a 2010 interview, actor Rupert Grint stated 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 Located below the village of Blackgang on the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, at the western end of the Undercliff, Blackgang Chine was historically a dramatic coastal ravine. In 1800 it was described as a "steep gaunt ravine" descending 150 m (490 ft) over about 1.2 km (1⁄2 mi). The area is located on unstable ground caused by underlying Gault Clay strata, leading to repeated landslides that gave the coastline a rugged appearance similar to the better-known Jurassic Coast of southern England. Currently, the cliffs are eroding at a rate of about 3.5 m (11 ft) per year, although the process is irregular and unpredictable. Continuing landslides and coastal erosion swept away the paths in the early 1900s, and over the following decades destroyed the original chine itself. The instability of the cliffs has repeatedly forced the park owners to move clifftop facilities further 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: Former attractions 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 External links Old pictures of Blackgang Chine Blackgang Chine In Old Film https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPHssr-slPmKQaWE6X0UC7eWz38RTD5BM Official Website https://blackgangchine.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blackgangchine/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlackgangChine/ Twitter https://twitter.com/BlackgangChine