There are some amazing roller coasters in our UK theme parks, this is a listing of the Top 10 Longest Roller Coasters in the UK.
1 – The Big One @ Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1675m
Notorious for its height, The Big One also features a long track. The ride transports its riders the entire length of Blackpool Pleasure Beach racing to the far end of the park before making a sharp turn and travelling back again. When the ride opened to the public on 28 May 1994, it held the record of the tallest roller coaster in the world. It held this record until July 1996, when Fujiyama opened at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan. With a track length of 5497ft (1675m), The Big One is the longest roller coaster in the UK.
The Big One Statistics
Click Here to see a listing of all UK Roller Coasters available for comparison.
Top Speed – 119km/h 74mph
Cost – £12m
Length – 5497ft 1675m
Height – 213ft 65m
Manufacturer – Arrow Dynamics
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Type – Steel – Hyper Coaster
Inversions – 0
G-Force – 3.5g
Trains – 3
Passengers per Train – 30
Ride Duration – 3m 0s
Theme Park – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Year Opened – 1994
Attractions Near Me – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Official Website
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Review
2 – The Smiler @ Alton Towers Resort 1170m
The Smiler at Alton Towers features a World Record-Breaking 14 inversions. Despite occupying a very small footprint, the thrilling ride is split into two halves with two lift hills allowing for a long track which entwines with itself throughout the ride. The first half of the ride features a regular chain lift hill. The second half of the ride commences with a vertical lift-hill, which both helps to save on space and increases the thrill level. It makes for a great ride when multiple trains are all out on the track at the same time.
The Smiler Statistics
Top Speed – 85km/h 52mph
Cost – £18m
Length – 3838ft 11700m
Height – 98ft 30m
Manufacturer – Gerstlauer
Type – Steel Infinity Coaster
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift and Vertical Lift Hill
Inversions – 14
G-Force – 4.5g
Trains – 4
Passengers per Train – 16
Ride Duration – 2m 45s
Theme Park – Alton Towers Resort
Year Opened – 2013
3 – ICON @ Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1140m
One of the UK’s newest roller coasters, ICON was manufactured by Mack Rides of Germany, the UK’s first double-launch roller coaster uses Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM) to propel the train along the track, it accelerates from 0-80kph in 2.25 seconds before reaching heights of 88ft at speeds of up to 85kph. The £16m roller coaster interacts closely with other rides and attractions 15 times during its high-speed journey, giving it the title of the world’s most interactive ride.
ICON Statistics
Top Speed – 85km/h 52mph
Cost – £16.25m
Length – 3750ft 1140m
Height – 88ft 25m
Manufacturer – Mack Rides
Type – Steel Launched
Lift/Launch – LSM-launch (x2)
Inversions – 1
G-Force – 4.3g
Trains – 3
Passengers per Train – 16
Ride Duration – 2m 41s
Theme Park – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Year Opened – 2018
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Official Website
4 – Grand National @ Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1006m
At a length of 3302ft (1006m), The Grand National is already a pretty long track length but what many people don’t realise is that it utilises what is called a Möbius Loop and not a twin-track as it may initially appear. A Möbius Loop roller coaster consists of a single track with the ride’s station being the halfway point. So after giving passengers one ride, each train has only completed half a circuit and has ended up back at the station on the other side of the boarding platform. If the entire track length counted then the ride would have a length of 6604ft (2012m) due to the Möbius Loop layout elevating it to 2nd position.
Designed and constructed in 1935 by Charles Paige, The Grand National is one of only three surviving wooden Möbius Loop roller coasters in the world. In April 2019 the ride was designated as a Grade II listed building. The ride is themed on the famous Grand National horserace with elements giving reference to the race scattered throughout the ride.
Grand National Statistics
Top Speed – 64km/h 40mph
Cost – Unknown
Length – 3302ft 1006m (6604ft 2012m due to the Möbius Loop layout)
Height – 62ft 19m
Manufacturer – Charles Paige
Type – Wooden Racing
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Inversions – 0
G-Force – 3.2g
Trains – 4
Passengers per Train – 18
Ride Duration – 2m 20s
Theme Park – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Year Opened – 1935
Attractions Near Me – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Official Website
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Review
5 – Big Dipper @ Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1000m
First built in 1923 by John Miller, The Big Dipper is a wooden out and back roller coaster. The classic ride was extended in 1936 by Charlie Paige and Joe Emberton adding arches over the south entrance of the park and additional drops. The historic ride which features five awesome drops and a host of twisting and banked turns was designated as a Grade II listed building on 19 April 2017.
Big Dipper Statistics
Top Speed – 64km/h 40mph
Cost – £25,000
Length – 3300ft 1000m
Height – 65ft 20m
Manufacturer – William Strickler
Type – Wooden Out and Back
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Inversions – 0
G-Force – 3.7g
Trains – 2
Passengers per Train – 24
Ride Duration – 2m 28s
Theme Park – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Year Opened – 1923
Attractions Near Me – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Official Website
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Review
6 – Roller Coaster @ Pleasure Beach Great Yarmouth 982m
This classic ride built-in 1932 is amongst the oldest roller coasters still operating in the UK and is designated as a Grade II listed building. The ride features two large drops, the first one is a real ‘headchopper‘ with the train diving under the support structure of the ride. As well as additional drops, the ride has a nice bunnyhop sequence which gives very good air-time both at the front and back of the train. The ride duration is approximately 3-minutes 20-seconds but this can fluctuate as it is determined by the onboard brakeman and how frequently the brakes are applied.
Roller Coaster Statistics
Top Speed – 72km/h 45mph
Cost – £unknown
Length – 3223ft 982m
Height – 70ft 21m
Manufacturer – Erich Heidrich
Type – Wooden
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Inversions – 0
G-Force – Unknown
Trains – Unknown
Passengers per Train – 30
Ride Duration – 3m 20s
Theme Park – Pleasure Beach Great Yarmouth
Year Opened – 1932
Attractions Near Me – Pleasure Beach Great Yarmouth
Pleasure Beach Great Yarmouth Official Website
7 – Scenic Railway @ Dreamland Margate 910m
The Scenic Railway is a wooden roller coaster located at Dreamland Margate. This classic ride first opened in 1920 and is the oldest roller coaster in the UK. The ride is distinctive compared to modern-day roller coasters, as a brakeman is still required to ride on the roller coaster train to control its speed, manually applying brakes when needed.
Scenic Railway Statistics
Top Speed – 56km/h 35mph
Original Cost – £15k est
Est Cost Today – £1m
Length – 3000ft 910m
Height – 40ft 12m
Manufacturer – John Henry Iles
Type – Wooden
Lift/Launch – Cable Lift x2
Inversions – 0
G-Force – Unknown
Trains – Unknown
Passengers per Train – 28
Ride Duration – 3m 20s
Theme Park – Dreamland Margate
Year Opened – 1920
Attractions Near Me – Dreamland Margate
Dreamland Official Website
8 – Megafobia @ Oakwood Theme Park 901m
Megafobia was the most recent wooden roller coaster to be built in the UK until the construction of Wicker Man commenced at Alton Towers in 2017. The roller coaster was constructed in 1996 by Custom Coasters International, who wanted a ride to showcase their company in Europe.
Megafobia Statistics
Top Speed – 77km/h 48mph
Cost – £1.7m
Length – 2956ft 901m
Height – 85ft 26m
Manufacturer – Custom Coasters International
Type – Wooden
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Inversions – 0
G-Force – 2.75g
Trains – 2
Passengers per Train – 24
Ride Duration – 1m 40s
Theme Park – Oakwood Theme Park
Year Opened – 1996
Attractions Near Me – Oakwood Theme Park
Oakwood Official Website
9 – The Odyssey @ Fantasy Island 891m
When The Odyssey first opened in 2002, its original name was The Jubilee Odyssey to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It is the ride manufacturer Vekoma’s tallest example of their Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) design in the world. Standing at 167 feet (51 metres), its lift-hill motors and brakes are powered by a £4 million dung-powered generator, which converts manure into methane gas.
The Odyssey Statistics
Top Speed – 101km/h 63mph
Cost – £28m
Length – 2924ft 891m
Height – 167ft 50m
Manufacturer – Vekoma
Type – Steel Inverted
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Inversions – 5
G-Force – 4.8g
Trains – 1
Passengers per Train – 20
Ride Duration – 2m 52s
Theme Park – Fantasy Island
Year Opened – 2002
Attractions Near Me – Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island Official Website
10 – Sik @ Flamingo Land Resort 875m
Sik at Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire was originally scheduled to open in 2020. Sadly Covid-19 delayed the construction of the ride with its opening date pushed back until summer 2022. Experience the fantastic £18m Thrill Ride which features 10 inversions and only lap bars.
Sik Statistics
Top Speed – 87km/h 54mph
Original Cost – £18m
Est Cost Today – £18m
Length – 2870ft 875m
Height – 108ft 33m
Manufacturer – Intamin
Type – Steel
Lift/Launch – Cable Lift
Inversions – 10
G-Force – 3.0
Trains – 1
Passengers per Train – 24
Ride Duration – 48s
Theme Park – Flamingo Land Resort
Year Opened – 2022
Attractions Near Me – Flamingo Land Resort
Flamingo Land Resort Official Website
The Ultimate @ Lightwater Valley 2268m
We could not end this post without mentioning the legendary Ultimate at Lightwater Valley Theme Park in North Yorkshire. This 1½ mile thrill ride once held the record of longest roller coaster in the world!
The Longest Roller Coaster in The World
At a length of 7442ft (2268m), The Ultimate was the longest roller coaster in the world, when it first opened in 1991. It held this record until 1999 and held on to the title of the Longest Roller Coaster in Europe until the ride closed in 2020. Loved by the roller coaster enthusiast community for its honesty, brutality and sheer rawness, The Ultimate owes a debt of gratitude to Lightwater Valley’s founder (Robert Staveley) for his pioneering vision during the early 1990s. It all started when work began on a project aimed at announcing Lightwater Valley’s arrival as a bona fide theme park for thrill-seekers.
The Ultimate Rollercoaster to be Dismantled
Sadly, on Thursday 12th January 2023, the Brighton Pier Group, owners of Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire announced that The Ultimate Roller Coaster will be dismantled.
Click Here to read the full story.
The Ultimate Statistics
Top Speed – 80km/h 50mph
Cost – £5m
Length – 7442ft 2268m
Height – 107ft 33m
Manufacturer – Big Country Motioneering / British Rail
Type – Steel
Lift/Launch – 2 Chain Lift Hills
Inversions – 0
G-Force – Unknown
Trains – 2
Passengers per Train – 38
Ride Duration – 7m 34s
Theme Park – Lightwater Valley Theme Park
Year Opened – 1991
Lightwater Valley Theme Park
Lightwater Valley Official Website
Top 10 Listings
If you enjoyed reading our Top 10 Longest Roller Coasters in the UK, you may also be interested in the following web pages.
Attractions Near Me Offers
View More Discount Days Out at Attractions Near Me
Also, like our Facebook page for notification of any new offers Facebook.com/AttractionsNearMe
Author: Dan
I am passionate about Theme Parks and Attractions. I love riding roller coasters and thrill rides. With two young boys I understand how expensive family days out can be and this was one of the main driving forces behind Attractions Near me. My aim is to help you and your friends enjoy some great days out without costing the earth. Thanks for reading and have a great time - Regards Dan
