Try GOLD - Free
Terrific Tucktonia
Best of British
|July 2024
Susan Brewer remembers the UK mainland's first theme park

Nowadays, theme parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland are visited by thousands each year. They differ slightly from amusement parks, which mainly concentrate on rides and other events. Theme parks are a variation which will have rides but also tend to be based around various subjects. Arguably the earliest theme park is situated near Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, and is called Blackgang Chine. It first opened in 1843 and is still going strong.
Although not originally intended as such, Tucktonia, at Christchurch, Dorset, was the mainland's first theme park. Harry Stiller, a former British Formula Three motor racing champion, owned a site originally housing a golf school, which he converted into a pub and a golf and leisure park. He planned to include a rollercoaster, but permission wasn't granted and, after being inspired by the Madurodam, a miniature tourist attraction in the Netherlands, decided to build the "greatest little Britain in the world".
Model villages have long been popular in Britain, so there were already several, especially in seaside resorts. However, Tucktonia was something else. Here you could see not just houses, but also iconic British features such as Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Hadrian's Wall, Buckingham Palace and the Cenotaph, all built to a much larger scale, 1:24, than that frequently used. St Paul's Cathedral, for example, was 16ft high. Then there were motorways, a floating oil rig, a railway, an airport and a modern dockland complex. There were more traditional forms of dockland shipping too.
This story is from the July 2024 edition of Best of British.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Best of British

Best of British
RAILWAY 200
Chris Cole celebrates the development of the railways and some of its successes
6 mins
September 2025

Best of British
'Wow, isn't it small?
Early television memories from The Francis Frith Collection
3 mins
September 2025

Best of British
Round the AUCTION HOUSES
Every week at auction houses up and down the country, a varied host of collectables are put up for sale at general and specialist events, offering everything from top-end treasures to more modest items. David Brown picks a selection of recent gems that have found new homes, and looks ahead to forthcoming sales.
3 mins
September 2025

Best of British
'The Female John Noakes'
With the help of presenter Jenny Hanley, David Barnes explores the history of the popular children's TV programme Magpie
6 mins
September 2025

Best of British
Byzantium Bites
Simon Stabler disputes the claim that lunch is for wimps
4 mins
September 2025

Best of British
BACK IN TIME WITH COLIN BAKER
BoB's very own Time Lord recalls growing up with Granada, literally flooding the engine of his Mini, and getting ready for a return Holmes
2 mins
September 2025

Best of British
RYDER CUP HERO
Colin Allan remembers golfer Dai Rees who led the first British team to beat the US in 24 years
5 mins
September 2025

Best of British
TREASURES In the ATTIC
Brian Howes unearths some nostalgic collectables that might be discarded as worthless junk but actually have a value to today's collectors. Can you estimate what each object might be worth and pick out which one is the big-money item? The values are printed on page 80.
3 mins
September 2025

Best of British
BRITAIN NOW
TOPICAL SNIPPETS FROM AROUND OUR NATION
3 mins
September 2025

Best of British
Take Your Pick!
Derek Lamb recalls an enduring game show and early ratings winner for ITV
4 mins
September 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size