Wicksteed Park is an amusement park in Kettering, England. Opened in 1921 by Charles Wicksteed, it's believed to be the oldest leisure park in the UK.

Wicksteed purchased 147 acres (595,000 m²) of land in 1913 with the vision of building a village on the site, however this never came to fruition and instead led to the park. One of the first features to be opened in 1921 was the 30 acre (120,000 m²) man-made boating lake.

Today the park has many amusement rides, many of which were designed and built by Wicksteed itself including the Laser Dome by VEQTOR, but unlike most larger theme parks such as Alton Towers it does not charge for entry. Open all year round, the children's playground is free for all to use, and one of the largest in Europe.

Of particular historical interest is the Water Chute, which is nearly 80 years old (built in 1926) and, having undergone major renovation (in 2002), it is the oldest working ride in the UK.

The park is owned by the Wicksteed Trust, a registered charity set up by Charles Wicksteed in 1916.

External link

• Wicksteed Park official site

Visitor attractions in Northamptonshire | Amusement parks in England | Theme parks in England