It’s had its ups and downs, but the world’s former longest roller coaster is on its way to the junkyard.
“The Ultimate” at Lightwater Valley, near Ripon in North Yorkshire, held the title from its inception in 1991 until 2000. It is 7,442 feet in length. Unfortunately, it has been out of commission since 2019, so visitors may now say their final goodbyes.
Brighton Pier Group PLC, the Lightwater Valley business, claimed to have “spent considerable time and effort” thinking about the ride’s future.
“The ride has been out of service for some years now, and the process of assessing the viability of bringing it back into use was long,” said the company’s chief executive officer Anne Ackord.
She stated they knew that many people would have fond memories of The Ultimate and were “aware” of its “nostalgic status.”
“Nevertheless, given both the investment required to bring it up to acceptable standards of safety and the re-imagining of Lightwater Valley as a family-orientated adventure park, we have decided to close The Ultimate permanently and remove it from the park,” Ms. Ackord added.
“We have no immediate plans regarding the parts of the ride,” a Lightwater Valley representative said when asked about the rollercoaster’s future.
“Works are beginning this winter in dismantling the coaster, should any parts become available for donation or purchase, it will be communicated through the park’s official channels.”
