Being brutally honest, I can't believe it's taken this long, and no doubt LV will surely have its days numbered. I am fortunate enough to be one of the few people who rode it when it opened (at 7 years old) with shoulder restraints, and have a photo of my whole family coming down the first drop where the camera was originally located. None of us ever liked it though, nor care much for Lightwater as a whole. It was really only The Rat and Super Loopa, but I cannot deny the early 90's were a truly exciting time for visiting UK theme parks with so many new rides popping up all over the country each passing year.
Used to go with parents/school/cubs I remember the Hell slide and skate carts being the main attractions, then the Rat opening (with its huge queue). The Super looper and Ultimate were awesome rides, we often used to go on the last day of opening when it was so quiet it was great. Sadly those days are long gone, the park has closed down all the rides it had, its rebranding as a "park for the under 12s", but due to H&S and the modern day world that doesnt have the same appeal it had when it was bouncing bikes, skate carts, hell slides and pedal boats. I really think the park has completely lost the plot, will most likely be completely closed within a year or 2 unless the owners have a dramatic rethink and investment comes.
@@Therealmiracleworker its hit a brick wall. Nothing left of interest for all ages to keep it going long term. Sad to see how its ended up. Had some great days there. Some of the rides u mentioned bring back fantastic memories
This rollercoaster is Yorkshire Incarnate. A troubled start, a good heart, a bit rough around the edges and unexpectedly doing great things quietly amongst the countryside.
That bit through the woods really is brutal, it throws you around like a rag doll. Also, I know of someone who once was hit in the face by a squirrel falling from a tree in that woods section
Yeaassssss! I got a mention in your credits. Watching this video and spat out my coffee when I saw my old video footage in this video. I was made up that it was used on one of my fave channels. The video of the old Hell Slide, Fort William, along with the Tractor Ride was my footage from an old reel I found from 1984 in my loft. A couple of points to note, it was called "The Ultimate" from the day it opened after the competition. Renamed "The Ultimate Beast - T-Rex of Coasters" in 1997 when then new owners took over. They started naming all the rides in the park after animals. Bat Flyer, Viper, T-Rex, The Rat, Ladybird etc.. Now it's back to "The Ultimate" again. The original concept came from Robert Staveley wanting visitors to see the valley at the back of the park, the original proposal was a cable car ride, then a rapids type ride. He finally settled on a rollercoaster when it was suggested to him by a friend. He drew up a rough proposal on a cigarette packet and took it to a local engineering firm and said, can you build this. I can imagine it was just a few squiggly lines. Can't remember if you mentioned that two of the ultimate's trains collided as well just after opening, causing some whiplash injuries, they had to close the ride down and remove two of the trains. The station was built to hold "4" trains and not "2", where the queue line is now on the right hand side of the station, that was the second side of track. The track is still underneath to this day and can be seen on outside pictures of the station, and when in the queue, you will see the floor is arched over the track. It was originally going to operate two loading stations, and could store all four trains. But it was cut at the last minute due to the cost, and just used to store all the trains. After the collision when they removed two trains, it was no longer needed to use both sides, so they used it for the permanent queue line. Those two trains they removed were used as spares and never put back on. This was just before they removed the OSTR's. The old ride shells from the removed & damaged ultimate trains with the "OSTR'S" were stored back stage just behind the fence from where Angry Birds Land was, I had a photo of them around 2003 still there rotting away. Can't seem to find the picture anymore, and not sure if the shells are still there. Darren
The RCT music brings back instant nostalgia! I understand now where Chris Sawyer got all his inspiration from for RCT. UK theme parks are radically more simplistic than most American ones
I'm imagining the conversation in the office that day: "OK, we need some new engineers to finish off this money pit of a rollercoaster, any ideas?" "Well, rollercoasters are kind of like trains, aren't they? They have carriages, and run on rails. So why don't we hire some BR engineers, can't be that different!" Seems like a very British approach to problem solving. But I guess when local specialist rollercoaster engineers are pretty much non-existent, you have to be creative!
Loved this as a kid. It's crazy that anything would be designed this way but it was a different time. Imagine all the computer simulations, finite element modelling etc. that would go into designing a modern roller coaster. This is essentially designed by a farmer.
This is so nostalgic for me! Every end of year school trip was to Lightwater Valley and we would ride The Ultimate over and over! I was also terrified of The Rat when I was younger. I haven’t been for years but I always get excited if I see the road sign!
It does look like a coaster with dual personalities, a scenic train ride followed by a rough running coaster. Great video as always!!! Love your channel!!!
Hi! Im currently doing research on this ride and I have a question about this video. At 6:42, I heard you say "Tubular Edgington." Most sources say the manufacturer is "Tubular Engineering." Is the real name of the company "Tubular Edgington?" I can't find any information about them.
So many memories of this rollercoaster! Would go on it on holiday, staying in a caravan park probably about 15-20 miles away. My first ‘big’ rollercoaster, and my dads telling me how we can see the caravan from up here 😂 Love it, would be sad to see the park close but last years twister accident really won’t help this year 💔
The first section feels very pointless, and kind of only serves to get you to the second half (as the video states). The second half is one of the most audacious pieces of coaster engineering ever built. Taron sits at my number 1, but those turns after the second lift hill are far, far more intense.
No matter all the problems The Ultimate has had over the years, it will always hold a special place in my heart as Lightwater Valley was the first theme park I ever went to and The Ultimate was the first ever rollercoaster I went on.
This ride looks FANTASTIC!!! I love the concept of speeding by…even if it isn’t speeding REAL fast…a natural landscape. Looks like a beautiful experience.
I live in ripon about five minutes from the park, if you decide to visit the park please make sure to visit the city too, we are the second smallest city in England with a massive heart
This was the first rollercoaster I was brave enough to go on, but that was also down to peer pressure of fellow cadets, due to Lightwater Valley being our theme park trip for that year's camp. At first I was skeptical of it and the whole park, having been to Thorpe Park the year before, it just didn't seem to have the same oomph, but boy was I so pleasantly surprised, and although it was many years back now, the memories of those bruises I had after riding The Ultimate but also how wonderful it was as well, remains to this day. It's a shame to hear about the unlikely future of the ride, especially with it being shut these past 2 seasons, I feel so honoured to have gone on a record breaking coaster as unique as it is. Thank you for this video, it's brought back such fond memories, and I never would have guessed it wasn't wooden if it wasn't for watching this.
Great video as always. I’m from Vancouver, BC and was determined to make the trek to LWV when my sister was going to university in London and I was visiting her 10 yrs ago. I’m so glad I did! What a unique ride and park in general. Awesome scenery too on the drive up to Ripon. Looking forward to more videos!
Lightwater Valley and this coaster was my childhood, mostly happy memories apart from a concussion once lol. I never realized the history behind it, great video :)
The whole park was my childhood from the ultimate to the Rat to the devil's cascade to the soopa loopa to the hell slides and Fort Williams and even had bikes and quads as well and those collide a scope things lol many years of fun 😁😁😁😁
The Rat! I've been trying to work out what that coaster was called I remembered going on it once as a kid and loved the theming but for the life of me could never remember where it was and what it was called now a happy chappy
To tink a guy who got punched by Mike Tyson about 200 or so times and still went in for a second fight with him. Yet this ride was so rough that he thought it would be best if he didn't go on it again, is not be the best advertisement for the Ultimate
I've ridden The Ultimate hundreds of times in my life and have yet to experience anything like it. Just how far it takes you away from the park is part of its charm.
Hopefully Lightwater Valley can be saved or hopefully it can survive long enough for someone rich enough to get it back on track (no pun intended) but if all else fails then hopefully I will become rich enough and own a wealthy enough company so I can buy the park and save it because I’ve always wanted to own a theme/amusement park and/or save a them/amusement park (it’s HIGHLY unlikely that I will get rich enough though)
I love the Ultimate. Not ridden it for quite a few years now. It’s so rough they just don’t make them like that anymore. It’s a real shame that there isn’t much else to make you want to visit Lightwater valley as an adult. I really enjoyed going as a kid.
Oh Sam I miss The Ultimate so much. I’m so glad we’ll always have this video to look back on though, as well as 30 years of memories of the ride too of course.
I rode this bad boy 8 times on one day last year, just after it had new wheels and a fair bit of work done to it. The back seat is insane, as you get HAULED over those lift hills, almost like a launch coaster. Love this ride so much!
They had me with the dirt bikes. I just wanted too thank you for the great reviews and content and work you put in your dockumenteries on your channel I look forward to hearing the mono version of your opening song every time I get a notification that you have a new them park exposition. Your channel rocks thanks for all your dedication and professionalism please keep the new expositions coming in the future
Really interesting video thank you. Never knew all of this! It was my first big rollercoaster as a kid, I went on it with my dad. Still remember shouting ‘omg I’m falling out!’ As it got down the second hill and started flying around the valley 🤣🤣 it was a fear I’ll tell you that haha. Absolutely loved it though and rode it a million and one times. Always tried to get as close to the back as I could because it seemed faster
The Yorkshire Cross Country Championships were held there in January. The course is 3 loops within the of area the Ultimate' s track layout. I would go to this theme park in the late 80's/early 90's for my birthday. Exciting times as the park developed with new attractions each year. As a child i loved the huge wooden fort, the death slide and some rollerskate wheeled things that you went way too quickly down a hill, leaning them over to steer , no helmets or safety wear. It was nice to go back, but it does look a bit tired now, and rides are thin on the ground.
Used to go to this park with my grandparents when I was younger!! I was never old enough to be allowed to ride The Ultimate though, but my brother and grandad did a few times, and my grandad would always complain about his knees afterwards 🤣
This was my first proper ride on a rollercoaster! I must have been around 10 (now 40). I remember crying ‘I want to get off!!’ as we were climbing the first lift hill 😂 snap to today and I’m riding Hyperia at Thorpe Park in 2 weeks! 🙌
The part after the second drop is so rough that i once triggered my friends asthma mid ride because i was slammed into them We both still went on again after though
What a throwback, haven’t been there in over a decade, but I do remember that every time we went on the ultimate we alway seamed to get stuck at the top of the ride and then got given free passes for the rest of the day as compensation
i used to work there and some shifts i’d work just outside the old entrance of the ultimate and the most asked question id get every day was what happened to it. not being from around the area i never knew how iconic it was
I have to admit, raptor attack and the ultimate are not perfect but they’re still amazing. The raptor attack has the best theming I’ve ever saw at a small-scale park. The ultimate has amazing drops and a good view but you definitely get bruised as you go through the woods.
It was a popular destination for school physics classes back in the early 90s, with kids riding it, then doing a bunch of exercises on freefall and weightlessness.
How right you were, ride it sooner rather than later. I used to be absolutely terrified of roller coasters and popped my coaster cherry on it in 1991 just to save face as I was with 3 other lads from school. 2nd part of the ride was way better than the first part, but man those over the shoulder restraints hurt!!
I fucking adore this ride. Almost the slowest lift in the world that I have experienced, next to moonsault scramble, but that second drop into the woods...fuck yes!!
I cant believe you made a video about this! Ive been on the ultimate loads of times and i really like it, especially before the drop when it speeds up.
This sounds like that park in NJ where this guy just built his own stuff and called it a park. Thank god these people knew something about what they were doing, because if the park in NJ had a coaster, I’m pretty sure the deaths would have quadrupled.
And another problem the Ultimate faced after opening based on personal experience: The yellow repeating set of signs at the start on the lift hills saying "IF THE RIDE STOPS PLEASE STAY SEATED" - I was on one of those occasions as a kid. Turned up right at opening time, ran all the way to the far side of the park to ride the Ultimate before the queues got too long. We had to sit for 20 minutes or so while other guests walked patiently, spread out the park and eventually got to the Ultimate boarded the coaster, and eventually they set it off about 2 thirds full. Got to the second lift hill and it must've been due to the lesser weight, because the train didn't travel far enough up the slope to click onto the lift chain, rolled back and came to a stop in one of the tiny dip hills leading up to the second slope. I'm guessing there's an average rider weight limit for a full run of the track because the fact that the track is covered in these "THE RIDE MAY STALL" signs suggests this was far from the only time it had happened.
Learning new things about a coaster I went on all the time as a teen (once rode it 10 times in a row with friends and we were very ill afterwards) is so cool but whew boi did the ending punch me in the heart with emotion. I live 10 mins from the park I don’t want to imagine the day it’s gone.
I've only been on The Ultimate twice, and both times were ages ago, but for some reason I've put it at #2 when I made a list of the favourite coasters I've ridden (above Nemesis and Megafobia and only behind EGF). I think it's partly because it's just such a unique ride, partly due to the super intense turns, and partly because if you sit near the back of the train, you get some incredible airtime over the second drop.
Visited this play in the early 90s on a college trip. I was so scared of this ride, and had white knuckles, but when it ended in about 5mins, I couldnt believe how easy it was. I felt like a million dollars walking back. After getting told off on the go-karts for not slowing down, and being forced off the track by marshals, I ended up going back to the ultimate. The noise was part of the fun.
It’s not that long of course, but yes the ride (Which is now dinosaur themed for whatever reason) has an uncomfortably long pathway, both on the entrance and exit.
I live super close to shitewater valley - all the local kids work there over summers when they’re 15/16 because they have buses to take you there and back. A few years ago they got some bad press because a young lass who was working there was checking the restraints on a ride when a mate/someone who she’d pissed off started the ride while she was still holding on
im from york we went there many times and me and my mates smokes a joint on the way to the top of the ride while strapped in ! would never get away with that now :) good old days
Me and my dad were just talking about this ride on Friday. He said it was probably the best he'd been on and for me it was just rough and no fun at all to be honest. I was a bit more boney back then though so maybe I'd enjoy it now! Anyway, great content, it's nice to see a detailed video about something close to home!
extremely sad this has been shut down! my school took me on trips as late as year ten in 2018-ish. even as a 14/15 year old i would come off with neck cricks from being thrown around after the second hill! it was absolutely brill though - the scenery and the wind. :(
I waited almost 2 hours to go on this and I say, it wasn’t worth it, I went on it when it still had the over shoulder restraints, and yes, those bends and turns were brutal as fuck, through out the entire ride I was just bashing my head back and forth continuously and I was begging for the ride to finish but it kept going on :(
You haven't had a good day at lightwater til your covered with bruises from the ultimate! I once got so battered in the second half that my necklace came off, but I somehow managed to catch it mid-air, in the middle of those loops in the woods. Fun fact: when the park closed for winter there used to be car rallying around the grounds, including an airborne bit where they had to take part of the rollercoaster out for the cars to pass! They stopped it when there was a crash that damaged the track though
The Frank Bruno interview was funny. He sounded unsure about riding it again. I guess it must have been pretty rough. I'd rather ride this than the crappy disaster known as Hagrid's Magical Creatures.
The Beast was a custom built coaster and goes through the woods and is the scariest coaster I'm the dark, pitch black and when you go down the second hill into the 1080 helix at 64mph feeling like the Damm train is gonna fall apart, you'll understand that this Coaster is just a baby compared to the Beast. It's not even close. Only a true coaster enthusiast can comprehend. We also have a mine ride coaster called "Adventure Express".... The coaster we just saw is nothing but a long drug out version of Adventure Express
I have ridden every coaster in that video. The rat being my first coaster ever. Love Lightwater Valley. Taking the kids this week for a small family day 👍🏻
I love being on this tiny island. If you live in any other country, you cannot understand how close you are to everything. From top to bottom, Britain would take you less than 10 hours to drive. England, less than 6 hours. Everything is so close together you could probably go to every major theme park in a 3 week holiday. Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Drayton Manor, Chessington, etc the biggest ones could be experienced in a week. At some point I will set myself a goal to visit every major attraction in Britain in day-trips.
The Ultimate is essentially the coaster equivalent of a heavy session. You know beforehand that you really shouldn't, but then you think screw it and go for it anyway. It's good fun for a while, you may even think for a second that this time you'll be okay, but after the event it's nothing but a world of pain.
Great video - I never knew any of this backstory to the Ultimate. I had my birthday at Lightwater Valley the year The Rat opened so I guess I was either 10 or 11. We live about equidistant from Lightwater and Flamingo Land had many family/school trips to both when I was young. Now I take my own daughter now and again. Unfortunately Lightwater in recent years has just been acquiring various fairground rides and has had more than its share of incidents. Flamingo Land is ok on a quiet day with a 2-for-1 voucher but they've been consistently buying dud rides recently. Blackpool Pleasure Beach is without a doubt the best Theme Park in the North of England and also has surprisingly low height restrictions on all of their rides. I've just been watching all your videos on Alton Towers Secret Weapons and can't wait for my daughter to reach 1.4m so we can make the most of a trip there. Just 3cm to go!
LOVE this coaster! My family visit LWV at least once a year and the only reason for going is this coaster. Rough is an understatement (if you are over 5ft10 tall your knees will certainly get bruised) but it's such an amazing ride. Showing its age now though, as the video says......go and ride it now as I don't see it being around for more than another few years.
RIP To The Ultimate. It has been announced it will never return.
Being brutally honest, I can't believe it's taken this long, and no doubt LV will surely have its days numbered. I am fortunate enough to be one of the few people who rode it when it opened (at 7 years old) with shoulder restraints, and have a photo of my whole family coming down the first drop where the camera was originally located. None of us ever liked it though, nor care much for Lightwater as a whole. It was really only The Rat and Super Loopa, but I cannot deny the early 90's were a truly exciting time for visiting UK theme parks with so many new rides popping up all over the country each passing year.
shame really i wanted to ride it never got the chance 😢
Went on it the year it open via a school trip. Brilliant days. My daughter got to go o. It also when she was young many years later.
Used to go with parents/school/cubs I remember the Hell slide and skate carts being the main attractions, then the Rat opening (with its huge queue). The Super looper and Ultimate were awesome rides, we often used to go on the last day of opening when it was so quiet it was great.
Sadly those days are long gone, the park has closed down all the rides it had, its rebranding as a "park for the under 12s", but due to H&S and the modern day world that doesnt have the same appeal it had when it was bouncing bikes, skate carts, hell slides and pedal boats. I really think the park has completely lost the plot, will most likely be completely closed within a year or 2 unless the owners have a dramatic rethink and investment comes.
@@Therealmiracleworker its hit a brick wall. Nothing left of interest for all ages to keep it going long term. Sad to see how its ended up.
Had some great days there. Some of the rides u mentioned bring back fantastic memories
The Ultimate is the only British Rail creation to consistently arrive on time.
Made my day lmao
😂
Except when they have to get a tractor to pull it to the station when it valleys.
Towers Crazy! I was going to say that 😂
LeoElso, I’ve been on it loads of times and it is fun but is not at all smooth and it practically breaks my back
This rollercoaster is Yorkshire Incarnate. A troubled start, a good heart, a bit rough around the edges and unexpectedly doing great things quietly amongst the countryside.
That is true!
So true 😂😂😂
Love the faint RCT Merry-go-round music in the background.
You win!
@@ExpeditionThemePark Forest Frontiers hello?! 🤣
You beat me to it man
And the Ragtime Style music before.
I knew it
"That ride was a ride, you know?"
-Frank Bruno
Classic
True wordsmith 😂
frank bruno is a ledge
m r . k i p l i n g
Stefan W. Wladimir klitschko studied sports science at the university of Kiev. They aren’t always dumb but big frankie was something else 😂
Oh this is what that scenario with the long, long to the ground mine train coaster in RCT1 took inspiration from.
It is!
It's got the swan boats, Rat Ride, and even the Batflyer!
Zodayn It was the developers local park. The scream audio from RCT was recorded from this rollercoaster!
@@AshHartwell I thought Chris Sawyer was based out of Glasgow?
That's right. Katie's Dreamland
That bit through the woods really is brutal, it throws you around like a rag doll. Also, I know of someone who once was hit in the face by a squirrel falling from a tree in that woods section
Didn’t a deer get splattered one time too?
They mentioned the animals being hit in the video
Whenever I see a video start with the words "The troubled history" I know it's going to intrest me immediately.
Haha hope you enjoy!
@@ExpeditionThemePark OH DEER
“Showering riders in BLOOD!?” Can’t get more “Ultimate” than that!
This was my first “big rollercoaster” and since riding it everything has seemed very smooth
Haha always a good way!
Yeaassssss! I got a mention in your credits. Watching this video and spat out my coffee when I saw my old video footage in this video. I was made up that it was used on one of my fave channels. The video of the old Hell Slide, Fort William, along with the Tractor Ride was my footage from an old reel I found from 1984 in my loft.
A couple of points to note, it was called "The Ultimate" from the day it opened after the competition. Renamed "The Ultimate Beast - T-Rex of Coasters" in 1997 when then new owners took over. They started naming all the rides in the park after animals. Bat Flyer, Viper, T-Rex, The Rat, Ladybird etc.. Now it's back to "The Ultimate" again.
The original concept came from Robert Staveley wanting visitors to see the valley at the back of the park, the original proposal was a cable car ride, then a rapids type ride. He finally settled on a rollercoaster when it was suggested to him by a friend. He drew up a rough proposal on a cigarette packet and took it to a local engineering firm and said, can you build this. I can imagine it was just a few squiggly lines.
Can't remember if you mentioned that two of the ultimate's trains collided as well just after opening, causing some whiplash injuries, they had to close the ride down and remove two of the trains. The station was built to hold "4" trains and not "2", where the queue line is now on the right hand side of the station, that was the second side of track. The track is still underneath to this day and can be seen on outside pictures of the station, and when in the queue, you will see the floor is arched over the track. It was originally going to operate two loading stations, and could store all four trains. But it was cut at the last minute due to the cost, and just used to store all the trains.
After the collision when they removed two trains, it was no longer needed to use both sides, so they used it for the permanent queue line. Those two trains they removed were used as spares and never put back on. This was just before they removed the OSTR's.
The old ride shells from the removed & damaged ultimate trains with the "OSTR'S" were stored back stage just behind the fence from where Angry Birds Land was, I had a photo of them around 2003 still there rotting away. Can't seem to find the picture anymore, and not sure if the shells are still there.
Darren
The RCT music brings back instant nostalgia! I understand now where Chris Sawyer got all his inspiration from for RCT. UK theme parks are radically more simplistic than most American ones
What a serious theme park enthusiast! "Some serious bends and hills." XD
Exactly ha
"That ride was a ride" 😂
"mista kiplin"
To be fair, there are some serious bends in those woods
I'm imagining the conversation in the office that day:
"OK, we need some new engineers to finish off this money pit of a rollercoaster, any ideas?"
"Well, rollercoasters are kind of like trains, aren't they? They have carriages, and run on rails. So why don't we hire some BR engineers, can't be that different!"
Seems like a very British approach to problem solving. But I guess when local specialist rollercoaster engineers are pretty much non-existent, you have to be creative!
Coaster engineer: What the fu-
Haha true
Comes with guaranteed delays and engineering works definitely going to be a fun ride if it leaves on time.
Ralphie Raccoon ok boomer
And it's probably cheaper than getting someone from outside the UK to design it
Loved this as a kid. It's crazy that anything would be designed this way but it was a different time. Imagine all the computer simulations, finite element modelling etc. that would go into designing a modern roller coaster. This is essentially designed by a farmer.
This is so nostalgic for me! Every end of year school trip was to Lightwater Valley and we would ride The Ultimate over and over! I was also terrified of The Rat when I was younger. I haven’t been for years but I always get excited if I see the road sign!
Oh God yeah The Rat! Queue for that was rank it actually smelled of raw sewage
It does look like a coaster with dual personalities, a scenic train ride followed by a rough running coaster. Great video as always!!! Love your channel!!!
Thank you!
Expedition Theme Park my daughter and I spend great quality time together sharing our love of roller coasters by watching your show
@@CoryAtRandom that makes me so happy to hear! I really appreciate you guys watching
Hi! Im currently doing research on this ride and I have a question about this video. At 6:42, I heard you say "Tubular Edgington." Most sources say the manufacturer is "Tubular Engineering." Is the real name of the company "Tubular Edgington?" I can't find any information about them.
I feel sorry for you when you can’t people to get back to you
Yo Expedition Theme Park answer this dude.
I remember going this and it made my mum go purple due to her blood pressure
Good times
Good times indeed haha
Ohohohohhh was she okay? xD
Zak Kar she’s alright
Tameston oh good! ^^
Tameston “ good times” lmao
Katie's dreamland, only the veterans know 😉
Yessss
can you do a history of flamingo land resort Yorkshire. It would be a really interesting episode as they have a over 200 year history.
I love all these obscure places in British theme park history. I would never had heard of this place if it wasn't for you, thanks!
Thank you for watching
i love how other people think of lightwater valley as obscure lmaoo
@@HB-vy5mr it's one of the best theme parks in the UK, and my school go there every year.
So many memories of this rollercoaster! Would go on it on holiday, staying in a caravan park probably about 15-20 miles away.
My first ‘big’ rollercoaster, and my dads telling me how we can see the caravan from up here 😂
Love it, would be sad to see the park close but last years twister accident really won’t help this year 💔
Yeah the future is not looking great
Absolute bucket list ride. Dont expect too much from it, but those turns after the second drop look intense.
It's worth a ride for sure e
The first section feels very pointless, and kind of only serves to get you to the second half (as the video states). The second half is one of the most audacious pieces of coaster engineering ever built. Taron sits at my number 1, but those turns after the second lift hill are far, far more intense.
No matter all the problems The Ultimate has had over the years, it will always hold a special place in my heart as Lightwater Valley was the first theme park I ever went to and The Ultimate was the first ever rollercoaster I went on.
I've just posted something practically the same 😮😂
This ride looks FANTASTIC!!!
I love the concept of speeding by…even if it isn’t speeding REAL fast…a natural landscape. Looks like a beautiful experience.
I live in ripon about five minutes from the park, if you decide to visit the park please make sure to visit the city too, we are the second smallest city in England with a massive heart
My wife is also from Ripon and an Old Riponian (Grammar school). Parents are still there but we live near Bradford now.
@@julianb9548 I went the other way, born in Bradford now live in Ripon ha
I always thought it was the smallest city?
This was the first rollercoaster I was brave enough to go on, but that was also down to peer pressure of fellow cadets, due to Lightwater Valley being our theme park trip for that year's camp. At first I was skeptical of it and the whole park, having been to Thorpe Park the year before, it just didn't seem to have the same oomph, but boy was I so pleasantly surprised, and although it was many years back now, the memories of those bruises I had after riding The Ultimate but also how wonderful it was as well, remains to this day. It's a shame to hear about the unlikely future of the ride, especially with it being shut these past 2 seasons, I feel so honoured to have gone on a record breaking coaster as unique as it is. Thank you for this video, it's brought back such fond memories, and I never would have guessed it wasn't wooden if it wasn't for watching this.
Great video as always. I’m from Vancouver, BC and was determined to make the trek to LWV when my sister was going to university in London and I was visiting her 10 yrs ago. I’m so glad I did! What a unique ride and park in general. Awesome scenery too on the drive up to Ripon. Looking forward to more videos!
And if you do come back make sure you come to fantasy island that's also a UK park.
Lightwater Valley and this coaster was my childhood, mostly happy memories apart from a concussion once lol. I never realized the history behind it, great video :)
Thank you!
The whole park was my childhood from the ultimate to the Rat to the devil's cascade to the soopa loopa to the hell slides and Fort Williams and even had bikes and quads as well and those collide a scope things lol many years of fun 😁😁😁😁
Early lightwater valley sounds like a British Action Park
Kinda!
It still is, to be fair
The Rat! I've been trying to work out what that coaster was called I remembered going on it once as a kid and loved the theming but for the life of me could never remember where it was and what it was called now a happy chappy
Now it's dino !
Expedition theme park is the best theme park TH-camr
Thanks so much!
The theme park TH-camr nah the best youtuber
To tink a guy who got punched by Mike Tyson about 200 or so times and still went in for a second fight with him. Yet this ride was so rough that he thought it would be best if he didn't go on it again, is not be the best advertisement for the Ultimate
This is such a strange coaster. I don't think it even knows it's own identity.
It is but iconic!
Its half rollercoaster half railway.
I remember riding this twice in a row right after eating a bag of jelly beans. I was a bloody idiot when I was younger. Fun, though.
The only way!
I remember that rollercoaster on RCT 1. It was a ride that always baffled me, never knew it was inspired by a real life rollercoaster.
This teally is a beautiful, exciting, interesting and poignant documentary done with skill, finesse and heart. Thank you for making this.
I've ridden The Ultimate hundreds of times in my life and have yet to experience anything like it. Just how far it takes you away from the park is part of its charm.
Hopefully Lightwater Valley can be saved or hopefully it can survive long enough for someone rich enough to get it back on track (no pun intended) but if all else fails then hopefully I will become rich enough and own a wealthy enough company so I can buy the park and save it because I’ve always wanted to own a theme/amusement park and/or save a them/amusement park (it’s HIGHLY unlikely that I will get rich enough though)
I love the Ultimate. Not ridden it for quite a few years now. It’s so rough they just don’t make them like that anymore. It’s a real shame that there isn’t much else to make you want to visit Lightwater valley as an adult. I really enjoyed going as a kid.
Was lightwater a bit like guilvers World where the rides are mostly just kids rides
Oh Sam I miss The Ultimate so much. I’m so glad we’ll always have this video to look back on though, as well as 30 years of memories of the ride too of course.
I rode this bad boy 8 times on one day last year, just after it had new wheels and a fair bit of work done to it. The back seat is insane, as you get HAULED over those lift hills, almost like a launch coaster. Love this ride so much!
"The Storm has crashed!"
Always
Memories 😂
Omg I thought it was just me! Smh lol.
Remove the 2nd train as soon as you start the park.
They had me with the dirt bikes. I just wanted too thank you for the great reviews and content and work you put in your dockumenteries on your channel I look forward to hearing the mono version of your opening song every time I get a notification that you have a new them park exposition. Your channel rocks thanks for all your dedication and professionalism please keep the new expositions coming in the future
"Mr Kipling, that ride was a ride you know?"
Haba
I mean, he wasn't wrong
"mista kiplin"
Really interesting video thank you. Never knew all of this!
It was my first big rollercoaster as a kid, I went on it with my dad.
Still remember shouting ‘omg I’m falling out!’ As it got down the second hill and started flying around the valley 🤣🤣 it was a fear I’ll tell you that haha. Absolutely loved it though and rode it a million and one times. Always tried to get as close to the back as I could because it seemed faster
The Yorkshire Cross Country Championships were held there in January. The course is 3 loops within the of area the Ultimate' s track layout.
I would go to this theme park in the late 80's/early 90's for my birthday.
Exciting times as the park developed with new attractions each year.
As a child i loved the huge wooden fort, the death slide and some rollerskate wheeled things that you went way too quickly down a hill, leaning them over to steer , no helmets or safety wear.
It was nice to go back, but it does look a bit tired now, and rides are thin on the ground.
This should’ve been called “The Beast goes to Britain”
Yes
The way this looks...doesn't have anything on THE BEAST
Used to go to this park with my grandparents when I was younger!! I was never old enough to be allowed to ride The Ultimate though, but my brother and grandad did a few times, and my grandad would always complain about his knees afterwards 🤣
This was my first proper ride on a rollercoaster! I must have been around 10 (now 40). I remember crying ‘I want to get off!!’ as we were climbing the first lift hill 😂 snap to today and I’m riding Hyperia at Thorpe Park in 2 weeks! 🙌
They announced today that they’re demolishing The Ultimate. Absolutely gutting 😢😢😢
The part after the second drop is so rough that i once triggered my friends asthma mid ride because i was slammed into them
We both still went on again after though
Mate you gave the a thousand yard stare with that RTC Merry-go-round music
What a throwback, haven’t been there in over a decade, but I do remember that every time we went on the ultimate we alway seamed to get stuck at the top of the ride and then got given free passes for the rest of the day as compensation
i used to work there and some shifts i’d work just outside the old entrance of the ultimate and the most asked question id get every day was what happened to it. not being from around the area i never knew how iconic it was
I have to admit, raptor attack and the ultimate are not perfect but they’re still amazing. The raptor attack has the best theming I’ve ever saw at a small-scale park. The ultimate has amazing drops and a good view but you definitely get bruised as you go through the woods.
It was a popular destination for school physics classes back in the early 90s, with kids riding it, then doing a bunch of exercises on freefall and weightlessness.
That's cool!
How right you were, ride it sooner rather than later. I used to be absolutely terrified of roller coasters and popped my coaster cherry on it in 1991 just to save face as I was with 3 other lads from school. 2nd part of the ride was way better than the first part, but man those over the shoulder restraints hurt!!
The Ultimate is currently set to be closed for the foreseeable future, breaks my heart i love that ride
I fucking adore this ride. Almost the slowest lift in the world that I have experienced, next to moonsault scramble, but that second drop into the woods...fuck yes!!
Love the RCT2 carousel music. The rest of the video is pretty amazing too! Thanks 🙏
Thanks!
I cant believe you made a video about this!
Ive been on the ultimate loads of times and i really like it, especially before the drop when it speeds up.
It is fun!
Can You make a Video about the 4 day Operating s&s Air Launch coaster Ring Racer at Nürburgring.
I will put it on the list!
What a crazy story! I usually say I wish we could have ridden this but this one... I’m goood 😂
We are going
Honestly you better go on it Jackie. It’s my home Park, I’ve done it so many times but I’m so scared for LWVs future
J99 Productions dangit ok haha! I’ll do it!
This sounds like that park in NJ where this guy just built his own stuff and called it a park. Thank god these people knew something about what they were doing, because if the park in NJ had a coaster, I’m pretty sure the deaths would have quadrupled.
I have been here 7 time, its one of my favourite coasters of all time and my first big ride ever.
And another problem the Ultimate faced after opening based on personal experience:
The yellow repeating set of signs at the start on the lift hills saying "IF THE RIDE STOPS PLEASE STAY SEATED" - I was on one of those occasions as a kid.
Turned up right at opening time, ran all the way to the far side of the park to ride the Ultimate before the queues got too long. We had to sit for 20 minutes or so while other guests walked patiently, spread out the park and eventually got to the Ultimate boarded the coaster, and eventually they set it off about 2 thirds full. Got to the second lift hill and it must've been due to the lesser weight, because the train didn't travel far enough up the slope to click onto the lift chain, rolled back and came to a stop in one of the tiny dip hills leading up to the second slope.
I'm guessing there's an average rider weight limit for a full run of the track because the fact that the track is covered in these "THE RIDE MAY STALL" signs suggests this was far from the only time it had happened.
Happy Late Valentine's Day Expedition Theme Park! ❤
Happy Late Valentine's Day!
Learning new things about a coaster I went on all the time as a teen (once rode it 10 times in a row with friends and we were very ill afterwards) is so cool but whew boi did the ending punch me in the heart with emotion. I live 10 mins from the park I don’t want to imagine the day it’s gone.
Gotta warn me man when theres so much nostalgia in the background music. Spent hours on Rollercoaster Tycoon as a kid. Mostly in sandbox mode hahaha
I've only been on The Ultimate twice, and both times were ages ago, but for some reason I've put it at #2 when I made a list of the favourite coasters I've ridden (above Nemesis and Megafobia and only behind EGF). I think it's partly because it's just such a unique ride, partly due to the super intense turns, and partly because if you sit near the back of the train, you get some incredible airtime over the second drop.
Visited this play in the early 90s on a college trip. I was so scared of this ride, and had white knuckles, but when it ended in about 5mins, I couldnt believe how easy it was. I felt like a million dollars walking back. After getting told off on the go-karts for not slowing down, and being forced off the track by marshals, I ended up going back to the ultimate. The noise was part of the fun.
I have this weird childhood memory of the tunnel entrance to The Rat being about three miles long... Am I imagining this?
It’s not that long of course, but yes the ride (Which is now dinosaur themed for whatever reason) has an uncomfortably long pathway, both on the entrance and exit.
Man, the videos of Lightwater Valley with those dirt bikes and 3 wheelers make it look like Britain’s Action Park
haha yeah
I went on this in the early 90s. It’s a shame it’s gone. I’d have liked to go on it again
I live super close to shitewater valley - all the local kids work there over summers when they’re 15/16 because they have buses to take you there and back. A few years ago they got some bad press because a young lass who was working there was checking the restraints on a ride when a mate/someone who she’d pissed off started the ride while she was still holding on
Yikes
im from york we went there many times and me and my mates smokes a joint on the way to the top of the ride while strapped in ! would never get away with that now :) good old days
Just imagine getting showered in animal blood while banking those turns. That's one hell of a ride 😂
Me and my dad were just talking about this ride on Friday. He said it was probably the best he'd been on and for me it was just rough and no fun at all to be honest. I was a bit more boney back then though so maybe I'd enjoy it now!
Anyway, great content, it's nice to see a detailed video about something close to home!
extremely sad this has been shut down! my school took me on trips as late as year ten in 2018-ish. even as a 14/15 year old i would come off with neck cricks from being thrown around after the second hill! it was absolutely brill though - the scenery and the wind. :(
I waited almost 2 hours to go on this and I say, it wasn’t worth it, I went on it when it still had the over shoulder restraints, and yes, those bends and turns were brutal as fuck, through out the entire ride I was just bashing my head back and forth continuously and I was begging for the ride to finish but it kept going on :(
The RCT music is GREATLY appreciated. Watching a video about coasters and then hearing that is the PERFECT combo. XD
MY thought exactly
You haven't had a good day at lightwater til your covered with bruises from the ultimate!
I once got so battered in the second half that my necklace came off, but I somehow managed to catch it mid-air, in the middle of those loops in the woods.
Fun fact: when the park closed for winter there used to be car rallying around the grounds, including an airborne bit where they had to take part of the rollercoaster out for the cars to pass! They stopped it when there was a crash that damaged the track though
There was a second near-death accident on that Twister ride just last year. Lightwater ain't doing so good with safety...
Rode it hundreds of times over the years, a great roller-coaster.
Was planning to visit this park this year - and this video makes my trip feel more urgent!
i would go as soon as you can!
The Frank Bruno interview was funny. He sounded unsure about riding it again. I guess it must have been pretty rough. I'd rather ride this than the crappy disaster known as Hagrid's Magical Creatures.
I love how the world's longest coaster belongs not to a mega-structure like "The Beast", but some scenic railway coaster in the UK.
haha yeah
The Beast was a custom built coaster and goes through the woods and is the scariest coaster I'm the dark, pitch black and when you go down the second hill into the 1080 helix at 64mph feeling like the Damm train is gonna fall apart, you'll understand that this Coaster is just a baby compared to the Beast. It's not even close. Only a true coaster enthusiast can comprehend. We also have a mine ride coaster called "Adventure Express".... The coaster we just saw is nothing but a long drug out version of Adventure Express
I have ridden every coaster in that video. The rat being my first coaster ever. Love Lightwater Valley. Taking the kids this week for a small family day 👍🏻
The Ultimate is legendary. Genuinely rattles you to your core, top 5 coaster in Britain even today in an otherwise bog-standard park.
Exactly!
As a Yorkshire lass who's ridden on both The Ultimate and Raptor Attack, I loved this video.
I love being on this tiny island. If you live in any other country, you cannot understand how close you are to everything. From top to bottom, Britain would take you less than 10 hours to drive. England, less than 6 hours. Everything is so close together you could probably go to every major theme park in a 3 week holiday. Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Drayton Manor, Chessington, etc the biggest ones could be experienced in a week. At some point I will set myself a goal to visit every major attraction in Britain in day-trips.
The Ultimate is essentially the coaster equivalent of a heavy session. You know beforehand that you really shouldn't, but then you think screw it and go for it anyway. It's good fun for a while, you may even think for a second that this time you'll be okay, but after the event it's nothing but a world of pain.
Haha trrue
love the Roller Coaster Tycoon music playing in the background! it definitely gives me that memory of a simpler time making theme parks in that game
Same here!
What a fortunate event, me and my family are visiting lightwater valley today!!!
But it's closed :( :(
Great video - I never knew any of this backstory to the Ultimate. I had my birthday at Lightwater Valley the year The Rat opened so I guess I was either 10 or 11. We live about equidistant from Lightwater and Flamingo Land had many family/school trips to both when I was young. Now I take my own daughter now and again. Unfortunately Lightwater in recent years has just been acquiring various fairground rides and has had more than its share of incidents. Flamingo Land is ok on a quiet day with a 2-for-1 voucher but they've been consistently buying dud rides recently. Blackpool Pleasure Beach is without a doubt the best Theme Park in the North of England and also has surprisingly low height restrictions on all of their rides. I've just been watching all your videos on Alton Towers Secret Weapons and can't wait for my daughter to reach 1.4m so we can make the most of a trip there. Just 3cm to go!
One of the most fun rides I've ever gone on. The turns after the second drop are something else 😱
So lucky to have been able to go on this ride many times!
LOVE this coaster! My family visit LWV at least once a year and the only reason for going is this coaster. Rough is an understatement (if you are over 5ft10 tall your knees will certainly get bruised) but it's such an amazing ride. Showing its age now though, as the video says......go and ride it now as I don't see it being around for more than another few years.
I agree