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REVIEW: Lightwater Valley

Posted on July 3rd 2019 by Whats on Northeast

Review by Emily Dudding

On Saturday I visited Lightwater Valley in Ripon, North Yorkshire. I travelled an hour to get there in the car but I can defiantly say it was worth it. Now, I know that not everyone likes rides and theme parks but for those like me who love a thrill, I would definitely recommend. There are rides for people of all ages: swings, teacups, roller coasters and water slides, you name it, it’s there. There’s even the ‘Black Pearl’ – a ride based in Skeleton Cove which rotates 360 degrees, giving you the thrill of a life time. But I must say one of my favourite rides was the ‘Raptor Attack’ which is a roller coaster but underground in the pitch black where Dinosaurs jump out at you. The sound effects in this ride especially are terrifying as the Raptors jump at your face. My other favourite ride was the Ultimate! ‘The Ultimate’ is the perfect name for this roller coaster as it reaches heights of 107ft before dramatically plummeting down and around through the trees. This was the fastest ride I went on but the adrenalin rush afterwards made me want to go straight back on despite the two lift hills I had to experience on the way. The Ultimate is the longest roller coaster in Europe lasting 6 minutes long and probably the roughest ride I have experiences but it is defiantly worth it. With the English weather shocking us all and having highs of 27 degrees on Saturday, the water slides came in especially well. I especially liked the “Wild River Rapids”, in which the boat twists and turns so fast while the water splashes into the boat. This ride is great for any age but passengers must be over 1.3m if not accompanied by an adult.

As well as family rides, there is also a farm at the park which is great for the younger ones. Children may also enjoy the show barn and play areas as well. At the entrance of the park, there is a massive lake where you can have a go of the swan boats – a great relaxing ride along the water – as well as a large Jurassic crazy golf, taking you on the ultimate Jurassic adventure. There is so much to do at Lightwater Valley to entertain everyone and it is a great day out for the family or groups of friends as well!

The food there was delicious, I had hot dogs and ice cream. There was so many different flavors of ice cream, so there is defiantly a flavor for everyone. I also has a slush which came in a refillable bottle so this was handy throughout the day as normal bottles drinks were slightly more expensive than their normal price. However, there are little shops situated all around the park where you can buy drinks and sweets as well as the goody shop of course before exiting the park.

Lightwater Valley also host a wide range of events which more people may be interested in, especially tribute acts. This year, Lightwater Valley will see summer music for Robbie Williams, Little Mix and Spice Girls tribute’s as well as many more. Throughout the rest of the year, Lightwater Valley will also be holding frightening events at Halloween and also fabulous fireworks in celebration of Bonfire Night.

I had a truly fantastic day at Lightwater Valley and I am excited to visit the park again, so I would defiantly recommend Lightwater Valley as an exciting day out for all the family this summer! Find out more about Lightwater Valley @ www.lightwatervalley.co.uk.

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