Lightwater Valley, once a fantastic park in Yorkshire has been through quite a journey over the last few years since The Brighton Pier Group took over.
During that time as they have tried to refocus the struggling park to be aimed at families they have removed a number of rides but most notably The Raptor, a fun indoor coaster and brutally demolished The Ultimate with no respect with its history or enthusiasts.
The latest news coming from the park this week seems to be that the remaining thrill ride ‘Eagles Claw’ has now also been removed.
The Eagles Claw is a KMG Frisbee ride that has been operating at the park since 2004 and is similar to Vortex at Thorpe Park.
In 2021 the park actually said they would be removing Eagles Claw in a (now archived) news post that read:
“In 2021 Lightwater Valley is set to adapt its offer to visitors. The Park has plans to broaden its appeal for younger families, and as a result a series of new rides, attractions and experiences will be designed specifically for the under 10s.
“We believe this new approach is best suited for the majority of our audience and will offer something new and exciting for young families across the region,” said Park Manager Colin Bowes.
As a result of this re-focusing, a number of the rides which are only suitable for older visitors will be replaced. These include Apollo, Raptor Attack, Eagle’s Claw, Black Pearl and River Rapids.”
However, Eagles Claw has continued to operate since then, last operating throughout the 2024 season.
It’s been noticed in the last few days however that all mentions of it have been removed from the Park’s website and this has led to speculation that the park have finally removed their last thrill ride.
This move leaves the park in a position where it is very much only for younger families and removing the final thrill ride feels like it could create less business for the park with there basically being nothing thrilling for those over around 7/8 now creating a younger cut-off age for the park.
Personally, as someone who had been to Lightwater Valley many times prior to 2016 (my last visit before I moved South) it’s sad to see the park remove classic attractions and whilst I wish the park success the way The Brighton Pier Group have treated the history of the park has been quite saddening.
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