10 Best Seaside Funfairs and Amusements

FOR A VINTAGE COMEBACK
Dreamland, Margate, Kent
After an 11-year campaign to save it from redevelopment, Dreamland – dating back to the 1860s – finally reopened in June 2015. Restored with the help of creative director Wayne Hemingway, the park features traditional rides re-imagined with a witty edge. Go for a ride on the Enterprise, Jumping Boats or Gallopers, or book for one of the hip events happening this season. Food is old school (fish and chips, candy-floss and Morelli's ice cream), and to top it off the Grade II-listed Scenic Railway rollercoaster is back in action. Open daily, free to enter and pay per ride (wristbands for unlimited rides £9-£15 online). dreamland.co.uk

FOR THE BIG ONE
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire
Blackpool Pleasure Beach needs little introduction –  and with more than 125 rides and attractions packed into its 42 acres, boredom isn’t really an option. Famous for its 235ft Big One rollercoaster – the tallest in the country – the Pleasure Beach has a new thrill ride: Red Arrows Sky Force, where you can step into the cockpit of your very own ‘plane’ and steer your way through an aerobatic display. Open at weekends from 11 February and then daily from 1 April, times vary; online peak prices for wristbands from £22 adult, £20 child. blackpoolpleasurebeach.com

FOR YOUNG FAMILIES
Woodlands, Nr Dartmouth, Devon
This family-oriented theme park, between Dartmouth and Totnes, is the largest in Devon, and is packed with rides and activities ideally suited to young children. Chief among them are the 500-metre Tornado Toboggan  run and a Sea Dragon swing ship. Kids will delight in the extensive play areas here for  them to explore. Check out the flying displays at the Falconry Centre, and the animals at Zoo Farm. And if you want to make a holiday out of it, there’s camping and a caravan park, too. Open daily from 24 March, 9:30am-5pm; advance tickets from £13.68 per person, children under 92cm free. woodlandspark.com

FOR AN ATLANTIC SETTING
Barry’s Amusements, Co Antrim
Founded in 1927 near to the harbour at Portrush, Barry’s Amusements has remained in the same family throughout its history, and is popular with visitors who enjoy its small scale and views over the Causeway Coast from the 15 rides. ‘We’re not competing with the big parks,’ says Kristina Trufelli, who co-runs Barry’s with her sister, Lisa. ‘For visitors, it brings back memories of when they were a child.’ Some of the features, such as the hand-carved carousel, are over 100 years old, while modern-day thrills include The Experience, which suspends fun-seekers upside down, and the Looping Star big dipper. Opening times vary seasonally (see online for details); free entry, rides cost between 1 and 4 tokens (a token is 50p or less if bought in packs of 24 or 50). barrysamusements.com

FOR A SEASIDE ICON
Brighton Pier, East Sussex
The enduring popularity of Brighton  Pier – welcoming 6.2 million visitors  a year – lies in its multi-generational appeal and the classic British seaside experience it offers. Fish and chips, sticks of rock, a ghost train  and a helter-skelter are all present and correct. And it’s free to enter, if you simply fancy a promenade over the Channel or an eyeful of  the Grade II-listed Victorian architecture from  a freely available deckchair. Of course, there are more recent, stomach-turning additions: try The Booster, which is 130ft tall and rotates you 360 degrees in the air. Or have your coppers at the ready for the amusement arcade. Open daily; free entry, rides priced individually. brightonpier.co.uk

FOR ADVENTURE PLAY
Codona’s, Aberdeen
New additions to this family-owned seafront park in northeast Scotland include a Dino-Safari 4D motion ride (complete with ferocious T-Rex) and an expansion to the indoor Smugglers Cove play area for small children – now one of the largest in the UK. Little ones will love the role-play facilities here, such as the fire station, supermarket and DJ booth they can operate themselves. Among the outdoor attractions are a Ferris wheel and adventure golf, plus a swinging galleon and vertiginous aerial assault course. Opening times vary seasonally (see online for details); from £12.99 per person with a family ticket, £14.99 per person standard. codonas.com

FOR GOING WILD
GreenWood Forest Park, Y Felinheli, Gwynedd
Close to the Menai Strait in North Wales, this 17-acre park has an emphasis on outdoor adventure play – and all rides have been designed to have a low environmental impact. The family-friendly pursuits include the world’s first people-powered rollercoaster, the longest sledge run in Wales, and woodland activities, such as den-building and a barefoot trail.  The Forest Theatre has a rolling programme of entertainment throughout the school holidays – and there are craft activities, too, which follow the seasons. Open daily, 10am-5.30pm in summer; peak season £15.50 for an adult and £14.95 for a child/senior. greenwoodforestpark.co.uk

FOR TIMELESS FUN
Blackgang Chine, Isle of Wight
The oldest theme park in Britain, opened in 1843 by Alexander Dabell, Blackgang Chine is still owned and run by the fifth generation of his family. Located on the south coast of the island, where Jurassic reptile remains are often found, ‘Restricted Area 5’ harbours moving dinosaurs, such as a family of triceratops and the biggest animatronic T-Rex in the country. In addition to the well-loved rides and slides – and the newly expanded Wild West-themed Cowboy Town – during the summer holidays, there are also Dino Night events and Wednesday evening firework displays. In Spring 2017, the park will welcome a new theme world: Underwater Kingdom. Open daily, 10am-6pm (peak season) with late-night Wednesdays; £19.50 (off peak) and £22 (peak) per person, saver ticket from £74 for 4, under-4s free. blackgangchine.com

FOR THRILLS & SPILLS
Fantasy Island, Skegness, Lincolnshire
Fantasy Island offers a mix of white-knuckle rides and traditional funfair fixtures from its beach-side base in Ingoldmells. New is a ‘Coaster Climb’, or a walk to the top of the two main rollercoasters (The Millennium and The Odyssey), for views out to sea and across the Lincolnshire Wolds. Gentler diversions take the shape of a log flume, mini dodgems, hook-a-duck and soft play. Also on site is Europe’s largest seven-day market, plus regular cabaret performances. Open daily, rides open 10.30/11am to 6/9pm in high season; free entry, wristbands from £20 standard, £10 junior. fantasyisland.co.uk

FOR RAINY DAYS
Adventure Island,  Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Running along the seafront, either side of Southend Pier, Adventure Island has recently unveiled a brand-new £5 million indoor centre (Adventure Inside), open since 2015. An all-weather continuation of the free-entry amusement park, it has a Pirate Plunge ride,  a carousel, soft play area for toddlers, plus restaurants and arcade games. Many of the rides at the park are designed and made by Adventure Island’s own team, such as the high-speed 4.2G Time Machine (for adrenaline junkies only). But younger visitors are well catered for with a Kiddi-Koasta, Flying Jumbos, a Crooked House and more. Opening times vary seasonally (see online for details); free entry, wristband cost varies with person’s height from £15.20. adventureisland.co.uk

To get more exciting round-ups check out our 10 best walking holidays by the sea or child-friendly beaches. Keep up to date with our latest 10 Best features in the magazine.