Loads of fun for all at wicksteed park (Wicksteed Leisure Park)

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Product:	Wicksteed Leisure Park
Date:	09/08/02 (229 review reads)
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Advantages: loads of fun, keeps everyone entertained

Disadvantages: car park expensive in high season, not many scary rides

Wicksteed Park first became a consideration for a leisure park in 1913 by Charles Wicksteed. Later, after a considerable amount of time planning, the park first opened its gates in 1921.
The park is located in Kettering, a town in Northamptonshire. Motorways, fields of grass and hills, surround the park.
The park is for people of all ages, young children and babies to the elderly and the disabled. There are unisex toilets and easy access for the disabled around the park.
There are also baby-changing facilities in the toilets. If you happen to lose your children at any time, you can go to the Lost Children centre located in the centre of the park. There is also a first aid room, so help is there for you, if it’s ever needed.
Dogs are welcome inside the park as long as they are kept on a lead at all times.
If you feel you have lost something during your day visit, there is a lost property room next to the first aid centre. There is also a drying room (you never know what might happen if you go on a boat trip).
If you desperately need to phone home or anyone, there are public telephones in the centre of the park.

The park opens at 9am but the rides don’t open until 10.30am.
Admission to the actual park is free, though you have to pay for the car park, which in high season is very expensive. You also pay for the rides and any special events that may be taking place that day. You are also given a map of the park so you know where everything is and you won’t get lost.
Here are the prices for the time of year you would like to visit:

High Season - £5 (very expensive) – very busy, long queues for the rides
Mid Season - £4 (still expensive) – also busy at this time, but the queues aren’t so long
Low Season - £3 (not so bad) – not very busy, not very long queues
Out of Season - £1 (very cheap) – some rides may be closed due to maintenance etc, usually no queues,
quite deserted
You can also purchase a season car park ticket for around £20, which would be a great saving, if you decide to visit a lot.
Sometimes you can find space to park your car on the side of the road outside the park for free. But then your car isn’t as secure as it would be inside the car park.

There is a Pavilion located in the centre of the park, which can be hired for weddings, antique fairs, wedding shows and musical events. The pavilion can be hired all throughout the year.

There are many restaurants and eating outlets situated around the park, so you’ll never be hungry. There are loads of vending machine filled with ice cold drinks. It would be best to bring your own food i.e. picnics, as the food and drinks are pretty expensive, but if you wouldn’t like the hassle of getting the picnic ready, then I have listed the restaurants below and the kind of food they cook:

Oak Tree Takeaway:
Fish and Chips, Chicken and Chips, Hot and Cold Drinks, Ice cream, Kids Meals etc

The Bistro:
Hot and Cold Food, Licensed Bar etc
Hexagon:
Burger Bar, Hot and Cold Drinks, Ice cream etc

Lakeside Diner:
Sandwiches and Baguettes, Hot Dogs, Hot and Cold Drinks, Ice cream etc

I am sure you are all dying to know what kind of stuff they have, so I will move onto that now!!!

There is a mini aviary with peacocks, rabbits, ducks and birds etc. This is situated at the busier end of the park and is ideal for young kids, as they will like to watch the animals.

There is a 30-acre man-made lake over the busiest side. Around the lake you will find a lot of ducks and swans. If you wish to take a relaxing trip around the lake, then why don’t you catch a ride on the big boat or if you fancy a go yourself, why not hire out a small boat all that is required is a small deposit.
There is a train that runs around the lake. So if you get tired and want to enjoy the sc
enery of Wicksteed Park, then why not have a ride. You will get to see rides in action, go through a dark tunnel, and go over a bridge on the lake and by some fields.

Also inside the park, there is a huge adventure playground for the kiddies. I used to love this when I was younger and even still go on it, when it’s deserted. It consists of loads of different climbing frames, swings, lots of different slides, sand pits, rope apparatus, seesaws, activity modules plus many many more.
Why not leave you kids entertained on the playground whilst you look around the gift shops or even the flower gardens?
Wicksteed Park has a few gift shops located next to the playground. So why not, buy yourself some postcards to remember the park by, or pencils or bags etc, or take a walk around the gardens and relax on one of the benches.

When you have decided to meet the kids to enjoy the rest of the park (if you can get them off the playground that is), why not have a look in the hall of mirrors? This is situated opposite the playground and offers a variety of different mirrors that will leave you in hysterics and keep the youngsters entertained for ages. Can’t imagine yourself looking any different? Then look in the mirrors and all will be revealed.

Maybe you’re one of those people (like me) who is afraid of going on big rides, but still wish you weren’t so afraid so you could try it? If so, then pop over to the big green dome. It’s hard to miss – it’s a huge green dome like building. Inside here, but only in high season, they have a cine 2000. This is a little like a simulator but instead of sitting in seats, you stand up on the ground and there are big screens all round the outside that fit the whole of the dome. The way they make you feel like you are actually riding the world’s biggest roller coasters or taking a tour on a carpet (the carpet is actually the floor you’re standing on, which isn&
#8217;t actually moving, but feels like it is) over New York City or being in the car that is being chased by the police is absolutely amazing. I think it is just like a film being projected onto a screen, which makes you believe you are taking part in it. This is by far my favourite ride, though I only like this one and not the ones where you sit strapped up in a seat in a cramped little simulator with the seats moving etc. Plus, what’s so good about this cine 2000, is the fact that you feel like you are moving and like you’re going to fall over all the time.

If you’re into amusement arcades like me, there is one there. It consists of air hockey, fruit machines, 2p, 5p and 10p machines, cuddly toy machines and mini arcade games etc.

If you fancy an ice cream, you can buy these from many of the restaurants, eating areas or the ice cream factory. There is also a museum, but I haven’t been in there before, so I can’t tell you what it’s like.

There is also an 18 hole crazy golf course for adults consisting of some very hard holes, and also small, easy cartoon character course for young children.

You have to purchase ride tickets or wristbands before you go on the rides. These can be obtained from one of the many ticket halls located around the park.
I have listed the prices below for the tickets and wristbands, so you can make sure you take the right amount of money with you.

Ride Tickets: (Bear in mind that most rides take 2 or 3 tickets)

Sheet of 30 = £12.50
Sheet of 12 = £7.50
Single Tickets = 90p

Wristbands: (These can’t be used on game stalls, coin operated rides or crazy golf, but they give you unlimited access to every other ride)

Adults = £8
Senior Citizen = £5
Wheelchair User = £5
Child = £12
You can also get group rates but you have to give them a couple of weeks notice

Wicksteed Park has quite a few rides, b
ut mostly for the younger generation. Some rides and attractions have height restrictions, but this is detailed on boards next to the rides, if you’re unsure.

Rides include the following plus many many more:

Dodgems: Not allowed to bump other cars

Ferris Wheel: This is a small one. This is an even smaller one for the kiddies

Bouncy Castle: For young children

Swings Ride: For young children

Miniature Go Karts: For young children

Roller coasters: 1 for small kids, the other for the older generation

Water Chute: It took me years to pluck up the courage to go on this ride. You have to go up really steep steps over looking some weird houses that always remind me of witches houses, with their tattered, overgrown look, wobbly chimneys and surrounding countryside. When you get to the top, you sit in this seats on this big boat and it goes slowly down a ramp and into the water. If you sit near the front, you get wet!

Pedal Cars: You have to pedal these little helicopter cars round this track in the air, which goes around the lake, so you can watch the water rides

Water Rides: There are quite a few of these. There are these really long water slides, where you sit in a little car and it goes down a long track into the water! But you should only go on these if you don’t mind getting wet (hence: the drying rooms)

Bumper Boats: If you bump into another boat, as I have seen before, you can fall out!

Astroglide: This is a big bumpy slide. There are 2 ride attendants. 1 stands at the bottom collecting the money and the other stands at the top helping you sit on your mat when you go down

Paratroopers: These are those little umbrellas that go up in the air in a circle, but bear in mind, that these are the very fast ones

Pirate Ship: This is one of the best rides at Wicksteed for the people who dare to go on it! I wouldn’t dare of course!
There is also a little pirate ship for the kiddies

Rotor Ride: You can either spectate here or have a go. Basically what happens, is people stand in a circle against the wall, and it spins round very very fast and people get lifted up off the floor! I just like to spectate for this one

Adult Go Karts: This track goes round some of the park’s rides. It is quite a big course. You should only go on this if you are a confident driver of Go Karts, though if you crash there are tyres around the outside

Mini Roundabouts: For the youngsters

Etc

Access around the park is very easy with paths, ramps, walkways and roads! It is also easy to get there with loads of signposts!

You can visit their website at www.wicksteedpark.co.uk or you can email them through the site for more information.

I have many memorable times at Wicksteed Park which will stay with me forever!!! Maybe you can too. Thanks for reading my opinion. I hope it has been useful for you

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