Wicksteed Park’s Water Chute Turns 100: A Century of Splashes Right Here in Northamptonshire

If you’ve ever visited Wicksteed Park, there’s a good chance the Water Chute holds a special place in your heart. Whether it’s a memory from your own childhood, a first visit with your little ones, or that moment you watched your kids’ faces as they hit the water for the very first time – it’s one of those rides that just stays with you. So when I heard that this iconic attraction is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, I honestly felt a little flutter of excitement. A hundred years of screams, splashes, and smiles – and it’s right here on our doorstep. How brilliant is that?

One of the oldest surviving water-based rides in the world and the oldest ride of its kind in the UK is celebrating its centenary – by making a splash!

The iconic Water Chute attraction was built in 1926 by Wicksteed Park’s founder Charles Wicksteed, the creator of swings and slides as we know them today. It was a forerunner to many of the theme park rides now popular across the world.

The 100-year-old ride’s significance has earned it Grade II-listed building status from Historic England for its architecture and design: it survives almost as it was built, and the rider experience is the same as when it first opened.

The flat-bottomed “boat” resembles the original design, but is a modern replica of the original. Once seated, passengers experience a thrilling slide down the chute onto the surface of the river below, getting splashed as they hit the water. The “boat” is then winched up again on a rope so that the passengers can exit the ride.

Wicksteed Park is marking the 100th anniversary – on Thursday April 2 – with a day of celebration, including allowing people to ride the Water Chute for just 100 pennies and inviting people to share their nostalgic memories of the ride from over the years.

Wicksteed Park Director Kelly Richardson said: “We are extremely proud of the Water Chute and its amazing history and heritage. It is a unique ride which means so much to so many people, who have such amazing memories of it from throughout their lives. I have fond memories of riding the Water Chute as a child myself.”

“Like so many of the rides and attractions on the park, it was a forerunner for theme parks and playgrounds around the world, ensuring that the legacy of Charles Wicksteed and his ingenuity and vision lives on.”

The Wicksteed Charitable Trust, which owns the park and is raising money to help maintain it, will have a stall next to the ride on the big day. Other stalls will also be at the park on the day, with local community groups, including the Wicksteed Model Boat Club, and local businesses Boards of Kettering and Brightwayz!

The Water Chute – judged the country’s Best Historic Ride in the 2022 UK Theme Park Awards – and Wicksteed Park’s rides and attractions are open throughout the Easter holidays, from March 28 to April 12, and then on weekends, school holidays and bank holidays until the end of September.

After listening to feedback from visitors, the price of on-day wristbands purchased at the park has been reduced from £25 to £22, to match the online purchase price.

Attractions include Wicky’s Farmyard, the Wicksteed Park Railway, spinning on the Sway Rider, the Dinosaur Valley rollercoaster, Rocky River Falls, the park’s other water-based ride, and the refurbished crazy golf course, Pig n’ Putt.

Plus, over Easter you can solve clues and spot new signs of life in the Springtime themed trail.

Wicksteed Park combines a 281-acre estate including 147 acres of beautiful parkland with more than 25 rides and attractions for all the family.

It was opened in 1921 by Charles Wicksteed who had a vision to inspire and encourage play as a way to improve families’ health and wellbeing.

The Wicksteed Charitable Trust was formed to ensure his work continued after his death and the park has become known as the home of children’s play.

The park has been praised for providing a highly enjoyable and memorable family day out in an assessment by national tourist board VisitEngland.

Awarding the Kettering park a score of 84%, VisitEngland said the attraction remains a well-established and much-loved visitor attraction, offering an excellent balance of traditional family entertainment, expansive green space, and historical significance.

Whether this is your first trip to Wicksteed or you’ve been going for years, the centenary celebration on April 2 feels like a really special reason to visit. A ride for just £1, community stalls, and all that history – it’s the kind of day that makes for proper family memories. And if you’re planning a full Easter day out, Wicksteed has plenty to keep the kids busy from morning to afternoon. I’d love to know if you go – drop a comment below and tell me about your Water Chute memories, old or new!