Paultons Park Opens Valgard and Plans New Attraction for 2027

(eap) Vikings officially arrived at Paultons Park in southern England last weekend. Guests can now discover the new themed area “Valgard: Realm of the Vikings”. With an investment of EUR 12 million, the expansion represents the park’s largest single investment to date. At the same time, the park already gave a first preview of its next expansion: in 2027, the Viking-themed area is set to be expanded with “Serpent’s Curse”, a water coaster from MACK Rides.

Drakon is Paultons Park's most thrilling ride yet, with a beyond-vertical lift hill and two inversions. © Photo: Courtesy of Paultons Park

Valgard is primarily aimed at families with older children and teenagers, thereby complementing the park’s existing offer, which includes “Peppa Pig World”, an area especially geared towards pre-school children. The new attractions in the themed area include Paultons Park’s first inverting coaster, “Drakon”, from German manufacturer Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, as well as “Vild Swing” from ART Engineering, the first Wild Swing in the British leisure landscape. The Dutch Leisure Expert Group was responsible for the masterplanning and design of the new area. On this basis, Themics supplied the theming objects for the Viking world.

“We are thrilled to have opened the gates to Valgard: Realm of the Vikings. The launch of this attraction and reveal of our most thrilling rollercoaster to date marks the start of an exciting new era for Paultons Park. We are committed to continuing to offer a memorable experience for young guests, while also growing and becoming more adventurous alongside our fans,” said James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park.

Vild Swing is the first ride of its kind in the UK. © Photo: Courtesy of Paultons Park

With the opening of the new attractions, the park also provided an outlook on the further development of the area. As early as next year, Valgard is set to be expanded with Serpent’s Curse, a 471-metre-long water coaster from Mack Rides. “We always have a surprise or two up our sleeve, and Serpent’s Curse is potentially our most exciting reveal yet. We’re working with the world-renowned Mack Rides to bring their fantastic water coaster to the UK. The speed and exhilaration of the coaster with such a dramatic finish into the water makes for something really special that works brilliantly within the Viking theme,” Mancey explained.

More about Valgard and its attractions will follow in our next EAP issue no. 4/2026 – stay tuned! ■