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History: Built in 1923
by Helters Ltd, it is a scenic boat ride lasting
eight minutes. The ride is 893 feet long and was
originally powered by a gas engine. Other similar
rides are found at Blackpool Pleasure Beach,
Kennywood (Pittsburgh, USA) and Playland Rye (New
Yorks, USA). This is a ‘dark ride’, a ride type
which became relatively common at amusement parks in
the mid-20th Century.
The River Caves was the
oldest attraction at Pleasureland. Based on an idea
from the USA, where this type of water based ride
was often known as 'The Old Mill', the River Caves
was originally built in 1908 on the site of the
first pleasure park at Southport, the White City. It
was moved to Pleasureland and recreated when the
park relocated on a larger site. The ride dates at
Pleasureland from 1922.
The basic concept is akin to
that of the early Scenic Railways, in that it is an
‘educational’ ride as well as designed for
enjoyment. There is a water-filled ‘river’ which
meanders through artificial caves, in a series of
tunnels, where at every turn a fresh ‘scene’ or
tableaux is revealed. The decorative boats are
slowly wafted through the single-level water course
by a strong current, made by a machine which drives
a paddle wheel.
There are ten boats, each
holding six passengers. One of the interesting
points to note is that it is so ingeniously designed
that the impression given is of travelling through a
much larger ride than it actually is. It takes
approx eight minutes.
Dimensions: 893 feet
long ‘track’.
Importance: Dreamland
featured a River Caves ride from 1924 to 1984,
although it differed from Pleasureland's in that the
boats were in the shape of 'tubs'. There
are now only two River Caves dark rides left in this
country, the one at Blackpool and Southport’s. River
Caves
were also found at other parks, including Southend’s
Kursaal. More recently a river caves ride (‘the
Stowaway’) was added to the Cinema building at
Dreamland, but was
dismantled and moved to Loudoun Castle, where it now
operates as an open-air attraction.
Latest: The ride
machinery, including the pump and paddle, have been
rescued from Pleasureland for potential use at
Dreamland, as have all 10 boats. The ride effects
were removed in 2004 by Pleasureland to be replaced
by dinosaur exhibits, which were removed by
Blackpool Pleasure Beach after the park closed. The
'track' was of permanent concrete construction and
could not be rescued.
If you have any further
information on the history of this ride, please
email
nick@savedreamland.co.uk. |
