I have been a regular visitor to Alton Towers for many years and of course the primary reason for my visits has been to enjoy the rollercoasters, however Alton Towers has so much more to offer its visitors than its white knuckle rides. A look beyond the main attractions uncovers tranquil woodland walks, unique gardens and a ruined country house.
After passing through the entry turnstiles and walking down Towers Street, visitors are treated to the sight of the imposing Grade II listed house – known simply as The Towers. The exterior of the house has remained largely intact but the house is completely empty inside, giving it a strangely eerie feeling when you get close up. The house has never been accessible to park visitors but keeps its silent watch over the coming and goings of the park’s thousands of daily visitors.
The Alton estate was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury from the 15th Century with their usual residence being at Alton Castle. In 1801 the 15th Earl decided that the Castle was no longer suitable and set about building what we now know as the Towers (it was previously known as Alton Abbey until around 1837 when it became a permanent residence for the family).
Later that Century the house and grounds were developed further by the well regarded architect Augustus Pugin in the 19th Century, on the instruction of the 16th Earl, John Talbot. Pugin also made improvements to Alton Castle which by this time had fallen into further disrepair.
After the death of the 16th Earl in 1852 and a subsequent costly legal battle over ownership of the estate it finally came to Henry Chetwynd-Talbot who became the 18th Earl in 1857. He only lived in the house while his main residence was being restored. Over the coming years it became difficult to furnish the house in the grand style of previous decades and it too gradually fell into neglect and disrepair. It was the 19th Earl that began opening up the grounds to the public, partly to fund the vast expense of running a country estate. By the 1890s the 20th Earl was hosting fetes and galas. The attraction rapidly grew in popularity with tens of thousands of people each year flocking to see wild animals and circus style exhibitions or just take a walk in the beautiful grounds.
In 1924 the estate was sold to a group of business men who continued to run it as an attraction. The remaining furniture and possessions from the house were auctioned off during that time and the house has not been used as a home since. During WWII it was used as an army cadet training camp before being passed back in the late 1950s.
Its transition from pleasure grounds to the theme park we know and love today was a gradual event. The real game changer came in 1980 with the opening of The Corkscrew, the first roller coaster to be installed in the park and one of the earliest of its kind in the UK. It proved an instant hit and people flocked from all over the UK to ride it. Attendance figures for the park doubled in the Corkscrew’s first year cementing Alton Towers’ place as serious theme park and paving the way for many more show-stopping Its thrill rides. The Corkscrew’s legendary status has remained long after it was dismantled in 2008 to make way for Th13teen, and pieces of its track now stand immortalised at the entrance turnstiles.
The Towers has long been associated with The legend of the Chained Oak, the story of which is incorporated into the ride Hex, located at the back of the house. Legend has it that one night on his way home the 16th Earl John Talbot was stopped by a beggar woman who asked him for money. When the Earl dismissed her request the beggar woman put a curse on him and declared that for every branch of the Old Oak that fell, a member of the Earl’s family would die. The next time a branch fell a member of the Earl’s family did suddenly die. To prevent any further tragedy the tree was reportedly chained on the Earl’s orders to prevent any more of its branches from falling. Although the story is a legend with no real evidence to back it up the chained oak itself id be real and can found a short drive from the park, in the village of Alton near the Chained Oak B&B. It is thought to be one of the oldest trees in the area at over 1300 years old and it is indeed chained up. There is yet to be any concrete reason as to why the chaining up took place, so the many myths and stories are still discussed to this day.
The legend of the chained oak is not the only spooky story associated with the site, so if you are curious about the paranormal, a visit to the recently created dungeon attraction will reveal more about some of the spirits rumoured to haunt The Towers. The house itself has also on occasion been used to house ghost-hunting sleepovers!
If you’ve ever been on the cable car Sky Ride you will have caught a brief glimpse of the gardens below but many visitors are unaware of the true scope and beauty of this area of the park.
The development of the gardens and wooded areas was started by the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury who was reportedly keen to ensure that the grounds were not identical to all the other grand houses of the era. The different influences on display reflect his eccentric character and individuality. Sadly he died before his vision was complete but the project was continued by his nephew John Talbot.
As well as planting an impressive collection of thousands of plants, trees and shrubs the Earl installed a unique collection of buildings and structures, each with their own story to tell.
The conservatories were completed in 1824. The 16th Earl would later go on to use them to grow bananas which would have been considered highly exotic back in the 19th Century!
The Swiss Cottage was built by the 15th Earl for his harpist Edward Jervis. Jervis was blind and he enjoyed spending time in the tranquil gardens.
The bath fountain was used for taking cold baths which were considered a healthy habit at the time.
The Choragic Monument was built by the 16th Earl in memory of his Uncle’s work in transforming the gardens and providing visitors with so much enjoyment.
The current owners of the park are committed to preserving the heritage of this stunning estate and a lot of work has gone into the restoration of the gardens, most recently of the Chinese Pagoda which is now fully operational again after a long period out of action. The pagoda was designed by Robert Abraham and completed in 1832.
I have taken many a walk along the winding footpaths through the secluded wooded areas that link one side of the park to the other and I almost always discover something new on each visit! I have always been amazed by the peace, tranquility and beauty to be enjoyed just a few hundred metres away from the metallic whirring of the rollercoasters and arcades. There is also an array of wildlife on the paths around the park, in particular ducks, geese, smaller birdlife and numerous grey squirrels.
The park offers a self guided tour route for visitors to see all the different features of the gardens, a copy of which can be downloaded here.
As part of the continuing restoration programme, The Banqueting Hall window in Towers has recently undergone renovations to return it to its former glory.
If you are a regular visitor to theme parks you may have noticed that compared to other parks Alton Towers does not have any rides that appear to be very high off the ground. This is because there are strict rules on where and how high any structure can be erected. The park is situated in the Alton and Farley Conservation Area and includes sites of biological importance and for this reason nothing is allowed to be built above the tree line.
To counteract this restriction the developers have had to get creative with the planning and styling of their rides. Many of the rides are dug down into valleys making them seem a lot less daunting at first glance. I feel that this type of ride design also makes the park more enjoyable to walk around as much of the noise is dampened by the surrounding trees – you often don’t realise you are near to the next ride until you are right on top of it. As someone who is often uncomfortable with heights, this means I am able to enjoy these thrill rides much more comfortably than if I was much higher above concrete. This is just one of the park’s features that keeps me returning year after year as when I have visited other parks, the sheer height of some of the rides (think Stealth at Thorpe Park or The Big One at Blackpool) terrifies me. (I still go on them anyway, but with sweatier palms!)
The views of the park from the highest points of some of the rides (if you can keep your eyes open!) are stunning, particularly from Smiler and Spinball Whizzer, both of which offer views of the lake and beyond.
I love the fact that the history of this beautiful estate has not only been preserved but also subtly incorporated into its attractions and I believe it is this that makes it so special and so much more than its rollercoasters.
Gardens only tickets are now available at limited time during the years so that more people can take advantage of the opportunity to explore the grounds as they would have done back in the late 19th Century.
Next time you visit, why not take some time out from the queue lines to discover the other side of this beautiful place?
compass and coaster 
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