Over the years hundreds of thousands of people have paid a visit to Alton Towers, which has firmly established itself as a favourite theme park in the Midlands.
Many of the park's visitors recently enjoyed one last trip on the old workhorse, the Nemesis rollercoaster, before it closed for a revamp. Whilst Nemesis will be returning to the park, many of old rides at the tourist attraction have been left to the history books reports Derbyshire Live.
Here are a dozen of the lost rides that once made visitors laugh, scream, cry or worse.
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Corkscrew
The ride that started it all and paved the way for all of the rollercoasters since. It was installed at the beginning of the season in 1980 and lasted 28 years before its demise.
Over a thousand riders per hour were sent on a 40mph trip around quick bends and a double inversion. The surroundings got a dino-themed update in 1999, but the 'coaster was showing its age at that point, with complaints about the comfort of the ride - and newer, sexier rides were showing it up.
Cut down in 2008, pieces of the ride still adorn the entrance today. A fitting tribute to the veteran that was the showpiece of the park all those years ago.
Around the World In 80 Days
Shortly after the Corkscrew first flung open its gates, we got Around the World In 80 Days. Based on the 1873 novel of the name same, this dark ride took you from Thailand to New York City, Greenland to Venice, Egypt to Brazil and more, which is pretty good for 5 minutes of your time.
The ride shut in 1993 and has been reworked a few times since, most recently as the Dungeon. Dark rides are infamous for love's first kiss - have you ever tried it?
Thunder Looper
This one's a globetrotter. It was first installed in Alton Towers for the 1990 season, but it had been operating in the USA since 1977.
It was popular during its six-year stint, but the signature rumble of its old-fashioned launch system made an awful racket, for both nearby residents and wildlife. It moved to Brazil, restarting operations in 1999 as the Katapul and is still going today.
The Beast
The Alton Beast arrived in 1988, pulling thrill-seekers up a spiral hill before letting gravity have its way with them in tight turns and sharp drops. However, noise complaints led to its section of the park being decommissioned 4 years later.
The ride returned to another section of the park, making it to 1997 before being dismantled and sold. Although it would eventually be replaced by Air, the 'coaster then went to Mexico and the USA, though it was dismantled again in 2017.
The Beastie
Predating The Beast by 5 years, this more family-friendly offering has been the Mini Dragon and The Dragon, before taking on its final name when it was installed near The Beast. It was smaller and slower than the famous rides at the park, but its role in making new thrill seekers out of kids was a noble one.
Shut in 2010, hidden behind fencing, then dismantled and sold in 2013. The Dragon ain't dead yet, though - you can find it on Barry Island.
Ripsaw
An icon of the Forbidden Valley, this was brought into the park in 1997. You sat in a wide gondola, suspended by the industrial, rusty-looking arms, which would bring you ever closer to a soaking by the water fountains.
It was good when it worked, and you could once get photos of your friends and family squirming as they approached the water spray. But it was expensive and unreliable, closing at the end of the 2015 season.
Nemesis Sub-Terra
A short-lived companion ride for the Nemesis rollercoaster, this ran from 2012 to 2015. This tower drop ride told the tale of creepy discovery beneath Forbidden Valley, and heart-pounding escape.
That was the plan, anyway - it didn't review all that well at first, leading to reworks that extended and improved the ride. But it wasn't to be, and it closed for the final time in 2015.
The Flume
This good old log flume first opened in 1981, and survived 34 years of reworks and renames before closing in 2015. This was one of the first places in the park where you could grab a mid-ride photo.
All that remains now are those photos and little clues out in the woods.
Black Hole
The Corkscrew wowed people when it arrived in 1980. The Black Hole was something a little different for 1984 - a spiral lift, then a plunge into darkness, with the occasional lights and lasers illuminating the way.
It was well-liked but queue times were long, and a rework for higher capacity led to the Black Hole II - Black Hole, with room for more people. The last voyage into the stars took place in 2005, but the ride eventually went to Sweden.
Submission
"Hang in there". This ride arrived in 2001, and its swinging gondolas on arms certainly looked impressive from a distance.
But it never quite took off as one of the park's mid-tier rides, being quite uncomfortable and not as good as it looked when you were actually on it. It was removed in 2014.
Energizer
The Energizer ran from 1995 to 2003, but was moved in 2001 for Submission. This swinging sensation was more popular than its successor and became known as the Boneshaker when it was rethemed for Ug Land.
It was sold after a couple of years in storage in 2005, although rumour has it that the Energizer eventually went to Benidorm's Terra Mítica theme park.
Twirling Toadstool
1984's Wave Swinger eventually became the Twirling Toadstool that younger readers will know. This classic chair swing has been installed all over the park but came to an end in 2017.
The old ride passed through Ug Land too, with a suitable pre-historic redesign. Not a headline-grabber, but like The Beastie, it helped to introduce children to the joy of the theme park.
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