How theme park once dubbed ‘Britain’s answer to Florida’ went from thrill seekers’ dream to pile of rubble

A THEME park once dubbed Britain’s answer to the massive American waterparks seen in Florida went from a thrill seekers’ dream to a pile of rubble.

Fantaseas Water Park in Dartford, Kent, was only open from 1989 to 1992, but it became a favourite for slide surfers across the UK.

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The water park was once dubbed the UK’s response to the giant American parks[/caption]

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Attendees could ride slides such as the Kamakazi and Bermuda Triangle[/caption]

The theme park had six giant slides, a wave pool, a heated outdoor lagoon, and a cafe and video arcade.

Rides included the Kamakazi, a 15ft plummet into a deep tank of water, and the Bermuda Triangle, which required riders to navigate swirling pools.

Other rides at the Cotton Lane site included the Doom Tube and Wipeout.

Punters were charged a £5 entry fee which would give people a whole twelve hours to shrivel up their fingers and toes.

Chris Welch, 46, told KentOnline that he used to go with this friends every Sunday.

He said: “It seemed like forever back then but looking back it was only about a year.

“The only thing that compares is Florida or the Siam Water Park in Tenerife.”

Justin Jones, 46, from Allington, near Maidstone, said he remembered bunking off school to go.

He remembers spending hours draped in a wet towel playing arcade games.

The dad-of-two said: “It was great because you didn’t have to get changed. They let you play, even in your swim shorts.”

Celebrities visited too, like Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, and news presenter Paula Yates who was seen there with her and Bob Geldof’s children.

A sister park was opened in Chingford in 1990, but Fantaseas was shut down two years later.

Owners were reported to have racked up large debts after repairs on the rides mounted.

Former staff also said that it was busy during peak hours of weekends and school holidays, but dead during off-peak periods.

One former lifeguard said she would sometimes not even see people for an hour.

Rachael Williamson, 50, said she was often having to rescue adults from the water and received a fair number of bumps and bruises from diving into the ground.

She remembered staffing numbers being cut back but bouncers being brought in when they started selling alcohol.

The park also faced subsidence concerns on the land and even a robbery.

The park lay abandoned for a decade before it was pulled down and replaced by housing.