A 72-foot wooden effigy looms over Mutiny Bay, flames bursting from its shoulders as a train full of screaming riders disappears into its base for the third time. That’s Wicker Man, Alton Towers’ wooden roller coaster and the ride that ended a 22-year UK drought for the format when it opened in 2018.
This guide covers everything people search for about Wicker Man: exactly how fast it goes, when it was built, its full stats, and what makes the ride’s fire-and-folklore theming different from any other wooden coaster in the world.
Quick Answer
Wicker Man is Alton Towers’ wooden roller coaster in Mutiny Bay, Staffordshire, which opened on 20 March 2018. It reaches a top speed of 43.6 mph (70.2 km/h), drops about 72 feet, and runs 2,608 feet of Great Coasters International (GCI) wooden track with zero inversions.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Alton Towers, Staffordshire, England Location: Mutiny Bay Manufacturer: Great Coasters International (GCI) Theming designer: Skyline Design LLC Opened: 20 March 2018 Cost: About £16 million Height: About 72 feet (22 m) First drop: About 72.2 feet Top speed: 43.6 mph (70.2 km/h) Length: About 2,608 feet (795 m) Track type: Wooden Inversions: 0 Max bank angle: 68° Trains: 3 trains, 12 cars each, 2 riders per row (24 per train) Hourly capacity: About 952 riders Minimum height: 120 cm (3’11”)
How Fast Is Wicker Man? Top Speed Explained
Wicker Man’s top speed is 43.6 mph (70.2 km/h), reached on the ride’s main drop shortly after the train leaves the station and dives past the wooden effigy for the first time. That figure is modest next to Alton Towers’ steel thrill rides, but GCI’s wooden-coaster airtime makes the drops and lateral turns feel quicker than the number on paper.
Because Wicker Man is a family wooden coaster rather than a hypercoaster, its speed is generated almost entirely by gravity off a single chain lift hill — there’s no launch and no second lift. The 43.6 mph figure is the same speed cited by Alton Towers and the Roller Coaster Database (RCDB) as the ride’s official top speed.
When Was Wicker Man Built? A Full Timeline
Wicker Man was built between 2016 and 2018 on the site of Alton Towers’ former Flume water ride, which closed in 2015 to make way for it. During development the project was known internally by its codename, “Secret Weapon 8” — part of Alton Towers’ long-running tradition of secrecy around major new rides — before the Wicker Man name was officially revealed in January 2018.
The ride opened to the public on 20 March 2018, following a short weather-related delay to its planned opening. At a construction cost of around £16 million, it became the first wooden roller coaster built anywhere in the UK in 22 years, and one of the first wooden coasters in the world to combine timber track with real, integrated fire effects.
Meet Big Bob: The Ride Experience
The ride’s central theming piece is a giant wooden effigy nicknamed “Big Bob,” carved with two faces — a calm, god-like human face on one side and a more sinister ram’s head, the Wicker Ram, on the other. Riders pass beneath and through Big Bob’s base three separate times over the course of the layout, each pass triggering real flame effects that burst from its shoulders alongside projected fire, smoke, and an original film score.
The backstory, developed for the ride’s pre-show inside a wicker dome, centres on the Beornen, a fictional cult said to live in the woods around Alton and use the effigy for a ritual sacrifice. It’s a slower build than most coaster queues, but it sets up the fire-and-folklore atmosphere that carries through the entire ride.
The coaster segment itself lasts around 1 minute 50 seconds of track time, mixing GCI’s signature airtime hills with a top bank angle of 68 degrees. Including the walk-through pre-show, the full guest experience runs several minutes longer.
A Milestone for UK Wooden Coasters
When it opened in 2018, Wicker Man was the first wooden roller coaster built in the UK in 22 years, ending a long drought for the format at British theme parks. Its combination of timber construction and integrated fire effects was billed as a world first for the genre, and the ride was ranked among the best new attractions of 2018 in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards.
The ride replaced the park’s former Flume water attraction and was designed to slot into Alton Towers’ mix of themed lands, giving the resort a family-friendly wooden coaster alongside more intense steel rides like Nemesis and The Smiler.
Practical Info: Height, Location & Tips
Wicker Man is located in the Mutiny Bay area of Alton Towers, on the former site of The Flume. The minimum height to ride is 120 cm (3’11”), and it operates with three 12-car trains seating riders two across, giving an hourly capacity of roughly 952 riders.
Because the ride starts with a pre-show walkthrough before the coaster itself, queue lines can move more slowly than the raw capacity suggests — worth factoring in if you’re planning a visit around peak hours.
Wicker Man roller coaster FAQs
What is Wicker Man’s top speed?
Wicker Man reaches a top speed of 43.6 mph (70.2 km/h), hit on its main drop shortly after leaving the station.
When was Wicker Man built and when did it open?
Wicker Man was built between 2016 and 2018 and opened to the public on 20 March 2018, on the site of Alton Towers’ former Flume ride.
How tall is Wicker Man and how big is the drop?
The ride stands about 72 feet (22 m) tall, with a first drop of roughly 72.2 feet.
Does Wicker Man have any inversions?
No. Wicker Man is a traditional wooden coaster with zero inversions, focusing on airtime, drops, and themed fire effects instead.
Who manufactured Wicker Man?
Wicker Man was built by Great Coasters International (GCI), a manufacturer known for smooth wooden roller coasters, with theming designed by Skyline Design LLC.
Where is Wicker Man located at Alton Towers?
Wicker Man is in the Mutiny Bay section of the park, on the former site of The Flume water ride, which closed in 2015.
What is the minimum height to ride Wicker Man?
Riders must be at least 120 cm (3’11”) tall to ride Wicker Man.
Who is Big Bob?
Big Bob is the nickname for Wicker Man’s giant wooden effigy, which has two carved faces — a human face and a ram’s head — and bursts with real fire as trains pass through its base three times during the ride.
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