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Heritage News
Campaign seeks halt to rollercoaster demolition

SAVE Britain's Heritage has called for the preservation and re-use of a historic rollercoaster on Merseyside, where demolition work is already underway.

Constructed at Southport's Pleasureland amusement park in 1937, the Cyclone rollercoaster is one of only five remaining prewar timber rollercoasters in the UK, and one of nine built before 1960. In total, 127 timber rollercoasters were built before 1960, but the the majority were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s.

Pleasureland was closed earlier this year by its owners, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and work has now started on the Cyclone's demolition.

SAVE's Secretary, Adam Wilkinson, told Sapling.info:

"The Cyclone is a classic figure-of-eight with a maximum height of 60ft and a top speed of 42mph.

"SAVE is calling for this wonderful structure, by Charles Page of the Pennsylvania Roller Company, to be preserved and re-used, and for the owners of the park to cease their scorched earth policy.

"We are horrified at the mindless vandalism of the historic Cyclone rollercoaster. The rollercoaster is an important survival of an increasingly rare type of historic structure.

"The chainsaws must stop and English Heritage must be allowed on site to inspect the structure for listing. It is in our view eminently worth preserving and has plenty more thrills to give willing punters. It is a beautiful and intricate structure, like a cat's cradle, made from 100,000 feet of timber.

"Structures such as this are of great interest in their own right, as well as holding great meaning for the many people they have given thrills and scares to.

"The Cyclone was in use until earlier this year and there's no reason why it couldn't be again."

Published on Sapling: September 2006

Save Britain's Heritage [external link in new window]
Save Our Cyclone petition [external link in new window]
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