Joyland

Joyland is an amusement park on the coast at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. It opened in 1949 on the site of the old Anchor Gardens beside Britannia Pier. The park keeps its classic rides from the 1940s and 1950s alongside newer attractions. Horace Cole’s engineering firm built many of the original machines still in use today. The Tyrolean Tubs roller coaster is the only miniature Virginia Reel ride still running anywhere. A mountain structure dominates the centre, holding several themed rides inside and around it. The park is known for unchanged heritage rides that parents remember from their own childhoods. In 1984 the Noah’s Ark centrepiece was replaced by a space shuttle ride called Space Base. In 1996 that was removed and a spooky roller coaster named Spook Express was built around the mountain peak. Other rides added later include Jet Cars, Neptune’s Kingdom and the Junior Ferris Wheel. Each ride has its own scene, from seahorses under the sea to pirate ships swinging above the ground. Visitors walk past the Snails ride, a slow snail-shaped track with garden gnomes and frogs along the way. The Tyrolean Tubs spins circular cars through rocky scenery, changing direction without warning. Inside the mountain, Jet Cars race through tunnels while Neptune’s Kingdom carries riders in seahorse cars through watery scenes. The Spook Express twists through a dark cave with sound effects, and the Junior Ferris Wheel gives views over the beach. The park mixes old favourites with newer thrills, all set beside the East Anglian coast.