The American Adventure

[WillPS]

Will have to get the bike out and have a trot round,

What I dont understand is why are they bothered about fencing the place off, there isnt anything left

If they don't make the effort to fence it off then eventually the place will be covered in Public Rights of Way.

[WillPS]

I really hated AA mainly because of its inceredibly stupid height restrictions i really wanted to ride that log flume but i had to be 1.4 meters tall to ride , we thought they were joking at the time but they werent. 
Was there an death there or something i never got why the height ristritons were so high? 

AA had nothing to do with the height restriction, they were a result of the safety case and insurance.

In the case of the Log Flume, the ride had a much lower permissive restriction when it was Cherokee Falls (one of my earliest memories is going on it with my cousins). This, understandably, shot up when the third drop was added and the ride became Nightmare Niagara; anybody will tell you that you really had to brace yourself effectively for that drop.

Incidentally, this was also the reason the rotating tunnel on the third drop was permanently deactivated - there were too many cases of people becoming disoriented and unable to prepare for the drop resulting in whiplash.

[spark]

Will have to get the bike out and have a trot round,

What I dont understand is why are they bothered about fencing the place off, there isnt anything left

If they don't make the effort to fence it off then eventually the place will be covered in Public Rights of Way.

Makes sense! but would prefer it to become that rather than some more housing etc

[hex_appeal]

ahhh nightmare niagra.. i'll always remember the fear i experienced at the top of that ride.. i felt so unsafe... but in a good way..lol

[WillPS]

Will have to get the bike out and have a trot round,

What I dont understand is why are they bothered about fencing the place off, there isnt anything left

If they don't make the effort to fence it off then eventually the place will be covered in Public Rights of Way.

Makes sense! but would prefer it to become that rather than some more housing etc

I'm so disillusioned by DCC's attitude to the site that I'm inclined to agree.

[Themeparksandy1981]

Aint it five years now since they went out of business? When I was young as a family we always went here as it school we were always given free kids tickets. I went here before I even went to Alton Towers.

This is all I can find on the net about the site. I know how long plans can take as its taken nearly 6 and a half years to  build a retail park and tesco extra not far from me

DCC have stated that they will allow minimal development on the site.

The land was for sale on the Derbyshire County Council Website, under the name Shipley Lakeside (Former American Adventure). The land is no longer for sale and three potential buyers are now being lined up by the DCC.[3]

Plans have been put forward for a retail and office park to be built on the site

[spark]

DCC have stated that they will allow minimal development on the site.

The land was for sale on the Derbyshire County Council Website, under the name Shipley Lakeside (Former American Adventure). The land is no longer for sale and three potential buyers are now being lined up by the DCC.[3]

Plans have been put forward for a retail and office park to be built on the site

Alas we still await to hear which of the 3 they have chosen!

[WillPS]

The problem the site has had has always been the same - political mucking about. It was intended that when the National Coal Board ceased production on the site it would handed over to a leisure operator within 5 years. That 5 years became 10, which was enough time for residents to treat the site as if it had always been rolling countryside and not a flipping dusty noisy hellhole.

This then lead to the 6 year Britannia Park fiasco, which failed because of various (mostly broken) promises made between KLF, DCC and their electorate. 4 years of court action left Kellard having to literally beg, borrow and steal to get the thing half-done. (It didn't help that it wasn't a very good idea, either.)

Now the whole thing has been left too long. Rather than look for a theme park operator to pick up the considerable fixed assets, DCC have seen fit to demolish everything and look for this mythical operator that'll build nothing, not attract many guests but still make shedloads of money.

[Sam]

I really hated AA mainly because of its inceredibly stupid height restrictions i really wanted to ride that log flume but i had to be 1.4 meters tall to ride , we thought they were joking at the time but they werent. 
Was there an death there or something i never got why the height ristritons were so high? 

Probably because it was one of the, if not the, highest and most intense log flumes ever built at the time. That height restriction was entirely appropriate!

[Bote]

It was the worlds tallest triple drop log flume at the time it was built. I don't know if it held that particular title throughout it's life, but it certainly remained the tallest in the UK until it shut, when the title reverted to Loggers Leap at Thorpe Park if I recall correctly

The height restrictions would not be set by the park. They would have been set by the manufacture/park insurers, and the park would have just done what they said.

[Themeparksandy1981]

It was the worlds tallest triple drop log flume at the time it was built. I don't know if it held that particular title throughout it's life, but it certainly remained the tallest in the UK until it shut, when the title reverted to Loggers Leap at Thorpe Park if I recall correctly

The height restrictions would not be set by the park. They would have been set by the manufacture/park insurers, and the park would have just done what they said.

But hasn't Thorpe Park log flume only got 2 drops?

The problem the park had is it after Motion Master was built they didn't add 2 the park line up. They couldn't even keep the rides they had in good shape and closing down the parks main 3 rides really put the nail in the coffin for the park. Before Nemesis I always thought Alton Towers looked second rate to American adventures rides.

[WillPS]

The drop was the biggest in the UK, by a considerable margin. Nightmare Niagara was 100ft and very steep, I think Loggers is 75ft with a 'level' in the middle. I'm pretty sure it was the world's tallest - but then why did they market it as "tallest triple drop"?

In any case it was a massively under-utilised marketing asset, and is by far the ride I miss most.

Motion Master was added in 1993, with a Robocop film.
The film was changed to Alien in 1994
Iron Wolf (later Twin Looper) arrived in 1995
SkyCoaster 1997
Flying Island 1998 - I think this is the point I'd say the park stopped and started to go in reverse.

[Bote]

I'm guessing they went with worlds tallest triple drop as there was already one taller but with more or less drops? It's an easy way to market a worlds first/tallest/fastest based on a technicality, as it gives them bragging rights. It's a crafty tactic, but it gets the public talking. They see worlds tallest and it's instantly a winner :P

And yes, Thorpes does only have two drops, but it regained the title of UK's tallest after NN shut, which is the title NN always held as far as I'm aware. The worlds tallest triple drop may have been taken from it in that time, I don't know, but it was always the UK's tallest log flume, regardless of how many drops it had. You could say it had two titles: Worlds tallest triple drop log flume, and UK's tallest log flume.

[Themeparksandy1981]

I just found this and its from October 2011

THE FIRM picked to re-develop part of the former American Adventure theme park land has committed itself to putting forward plans for the site in six months’ time.

Waystones – the firm chosen by Derbyshire County Council to develop the Lakeside part of the site – has so far not revealed any of its ‘masterplan’ for the overgrown area in Shipley.

But bosses have now signed a contract with the authority setting a deadline of six months to submit the first planning application.

County and Amber Valley borough councillor Kevin Parkinson had blasted the firm in his newsletter earlier in the week, saying he was becoming ‘less confident’ that the Swanwick-based firm would deliver what residents want to see on the site.

But since the formal agreement was signed, he has welcomed the news.

“This gives me some confidence that if the application is approved we will see boots on the ground and bricks being laid next spring,” he added.

“However I am keen that Waystone now consults locally to ensure that their plans for Shipley Lakeside achieve local support.”

Both Cllr Parkinson and county council officers have agreed that they do not want to see housing or a large-scale retail development on the site.

They said this was in a bid to prevent Heanor and Ilkeston ‘merging’

In 2008 the theme park site was split in half with Waystones chosen to develop the Lakeside area and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to create the biggest nature reserve in the county outside of the Peak District with the other half.

Since then there has been a lot of debate over what residents would like to see built in the area.

Early suggestions were hotels, a retirement complex and sports and leisure uses.

The site is currently fenced off and has been a target for arsonists and vandals.

Waystones were unavailable for comment on the proposal.

Looks like they picked the firm and things should be sorted by April.

[Themeparksandy1981]

Motion Master was added in 1993, with a Robocop film.
The film was changed to Alien in 1994
Iron Wolf (later Twin Looper) arrived in 1995
SkyCoaster 1997
Flying Island 1998 - I think this is the point I'd say the park stopped and started to go in reverse.
[/quote]

I said motion master as the twin loop was a second hand and was poorly themed

[Adz]

Anyone looking to have a ride on the Runaway Train can do so at this years Bristol Funderworld! 30 March - 15 April

Nice to see it out and about again. Looks like Mellors intend to use it regularly for the Funderworld style events.

[ukool]

I hated that log flume, most of it was ok, but that last drop! I hated the going up to it part through that tunnel.

[spark]

That Log Flume was amazing, back in its day, very well themed until they installed that last drop

[shanem345]

Anyone looking to have a ride on the Runaway Train can do so at this years Bristol Funderworld! 30 March - 15 April

Nice to see it out and about again. Looks like Mellors intend to use it regularly for the Funderworld style events.

It made its debut in my hometown, Nottingham last year for Goose Fair, Mellors has made a nice job of it, even has the old bear statues at the entrance to the ride. It took him just over two weeks to build it up though so I guess it will only travel to events that run longer than a few days.

[WillPS]

I can't put my find on where those Bear statues actually were in the park. I don't recall them being with the Runaway Train.