What was alton towers before it was a theme park

Inspired by Disneyland, the modern park was designed to be home to multiple, other-worldly spaces, grounded in English Heritage. John Broome, the former Director of Alton Towers, had a vision to transform the historic estate into a brand new leisure attraction. In , with the birth of the Corkscrew, the modern day theme park was created. Alton Towers Resort is part of the Merlin Entertainments family.

Alton Towers was originally owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Talbot family. The Talbots were the owners and residents between and In more recent years, Nick Leslau, Chairman of Prestbury Investments, purchased the property to become the official owner of Alton Towers. The current towers were completed by Augustus Pugin, a pioneer of Gothic Revival architecture who also designed the interior of the Palace of Westminster, including its famous clock tower which houses Big Ben.

Several buildings have actually occupied the site under the ownership of the Talbot family since , with the present-day towers being erected from the early s and finished by They were effectively an elaborate indulgence by various Talbots, are not as old as they are designed to look, and feature grand additions such as a dry moat, courtyard garden conservatory and beautiful stained glass windows.

The towers were home to the Talbot family and associated Earls of Shrewsbury until , after which they were abandoned as accommodation. In the early s the 20th Earl, who had interests in the Talbot Motor Car Company which he had founded, began to spend more and more time at his Ingestre Estate. Lady Shrewsbury lived alone at the Towers until after her husband's death in Although the bulk of the estate had already been sold in , in the remaining lands and Alton Towers itself were sold to a group of local businessmen.

So, after some years the Towers and the Estate passed out of the hands of the Earls of Shrewsbury. The house and gardens remained open until the outbreak of War when it was requisitioned as an Officer Cadet Training Camp. Nevertheless, gardeners continued to further improve this beauty when Charles Talbot was succeeded by his nephew John. The Shrewsbury family remained in residence until , after a sometimes turbulent year history. Alton Towers dates back as far as the 8 th century when the Towers site became a fortress held by Ceolred, King of Mercia.

The Earls of Shrewsbury occupied the castle from when the Lady Ankarat de Verdun married Sir John Talbot — the title remained in the same family until the s. It was the 15th Earl, Charles Talbot, born in , who tamed the landscape surrounding the Towers. Charles ensured that every detail and plan was original, and only consulted other artists in order to avoid imitation. The gardens were first opened to the public in and thirty years later, garden fetes attended by as many as 30, people were common.

After he died it was taken over by his two sons, Denis and Anthony. The gardens are restored and attract crowds throughout the roaring twenties and thirties. The house and grounds remain under the control of the war office until