The Ruins in the 90's

What rides and attractions do you miss? Share your memories of Alton Towers' extensive past here.
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eliz1312
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Hi. i'm new to the sight so wondered if anyone can help me.
Back in the 90's when i was a young girl I went for a walk around the ruins with my family and the strangest thing happened.
i'm not sure but i either looked over the wall off the roof or out of a window and I saw a black and white tiled floor, which was roped off so visitors couldn't walk on it, and there on the floor was a raggy doll with red wool hair.
As a young girl this intregued me so i raced down to the ground level to see, only to see the black and white tiled floor with no doll on it. just a mop.
i remember my family laughing at me saying i was seeing things and then we returned to the rides.
A few years later i read an Alton Towers book (pretty sure it was gothic wonderland) and i swear blind it said something about a little ghost girl who leaves her red haired dolly lying around for people to see. I was freaked out, then thought nothing of it again until recently. Now, however, i can't find a single thing about a girl or a red haired doll anywhere, let alone a story or picture of what and where that black and white tiled floor was! I even re-bought the gothic wonderland book I thought I had read it in and there's no mention of it.
Any body heard of anything like the floor or the girl and dolly or have i totally gone bonkers?! :dizzy:
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Tom
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Welcome to TTSP, thanks for sharing your story!

There are indeed many myths and legends surrounding The Towers involving ghosts and unusual goings on, however I can't say that I've ever heard of that one personally.

There are a couple of bits that have a tiled floor like you describe, the one that I would imagine you are referring to would be the old kitchen. Now this part of the building isn't accessible but you can peer down into it from above.

It's shown in the yellow circle on this plan of the Towers:
Image

Whilst this photo doesn't actually show the tiled floors, I assure you that if the angle was tilted slightly further down you would be able to see them!
Image

I do have some photos somewhere in my backlog, so when I find them I will share them here.

If anyone is interested in visiting the part of the building where you would be able to see this, there are a couple of ways of doing so. If you were to head up to the roof adjacent to the large pitched roof of the Dining Hall and go up to the corner nearest the middle of the Towers you will get a similar view to the photo above. Alternatively if you were to go to the rooms above the Drawing Room and look out of the windows you should be able to see the tiled floor. It's kind of hard to explain but hopefully the above makes sense.
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eliz1312
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thank you so much for ur reply. i'd love to see some pictures. not being able to find the story i read has really bugged me for years.
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S.J_O'Grady
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I've never heard that story either, very interesting!

Don't know if you've seen this site but it has a few good ghost stories: http://ukparanormalevents.blogspot.co.u ... rs_05.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, great photo Tom! Never seen that view of the towers before.
Life is a roller coaster. You can either scream every time you hit a bump or you can throw your hands up in the air and enjoy it.
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Tom
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As promised I've had a rummage and found a photo of the floor:

Image

Apologies for such an awful photo, but it's the only one I could find for the time being. This was taken through a window which is just to the right out of view on the previous photo I posted up.

After consulting the 1976 survey of Alton Towers by Donald W Insall & Associates of London, they have this room down as the "Black and White Kitchen", I guess that makes perfect sense given its distinctive tiling.
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eliz1312
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seeing that has made me so happy i could cry! i have honestly been searching for this for so long. i've even been back to the ruins and walk round looking for it but could never find it. now if i can just find where i read that story about the little girl i'll be able to put this to rest! :)
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Tom
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eliz1312 wrote:seeing that has made me so happy i could cry! i have honestly been searching for this for so long. i've even been back to the ruins and walk round looking for it but could never find it. now if i can just find where i read that story about the little girl i'll be able to put this to rest! :)
Well the Towers are currently closed because of Scarefest, but should be back open next year. If you wanted to get to where I took that photo, then follow these steps:

1) Enter the Towers from the House Conservatory in Her Ladyships Garden.
2) Once you've left the Conservatory you will be in the Drawing Room, immediately turn left and head to either of the two doors.
3) Go up the staircase within that room to the next floor.
4) Turn right at the top of the stairs and if my memory is correct you will then be in the Pugin Rooms.
5) Head to the other end of these rooms and on the left there will be a small picket fence type thing in an old doorway.
6) Poke your head out over this and look down and beneath you is the kitchen.

Hope you manage to find it when you're back on park. :)
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Mickeyray
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I've always wanted to to go into the Towers but never could find the way in.. When I was there in April, up the first lift on the Smiler I would look at the towers and see people in the windows of the top floor. Now I have to wait another years to get the chance..
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