Merrie England & Pleasurama: Ramsgate’s amusement park

Opened in 1863, Ramsgate Harbour Station was a vital part of the town’s transport network and became a busy and well-used facility. However, the station’s location, with trains having to descend a steep slope through a tunnel, led to frequent accidents. In 1891, a tragic accident occurred when a train ran out of control, smashing through the station and killing a cockle seller and injuring two of his customers. Other runaways and collisions followed, prompting the decision to close the harbour line in 1926. A new station was built further inland at St Lawrence to prevent further disasters.

After the closure of the station, the site was sold to the local council, who demolished the tracks, turntable, and platforms but retained the large station buildings. In 1927, the site was leased to a consortium that planned to build an amusement park. This park, which opened in June 1927, featured a roller coaster from the Paris Exhibition of 1925. The 80 ton shipment arrived in May of that year and was unloaded at Richborough docks due to the lack of electric cranes in Ramsgate.  A water chute from Belgium was also installed along with a miniature railway and some flat rides.

Later that year the site was raided by police and the owners and several stall holders were charged with 136 offences of running illegal betting operations. As this was strictly prohibited the lease was terminated, most of the rides were removed and for the next couple of years the council operated what remained.

In 1931 the lease was taken over by General Amusements Corporation Ltd who agreed to rebuild and improve the park and to pay the council £10,000 a year in rent, which was later reduced to £7,500.

The park was renamed Merrie England and buildings were erected in the style of an old English village with half-timbered cottages and red tiled roofs. The old station building remained and formed a large undercover area. In 1932 a new wooden roller coaster was built next to the cliff. 

Unfortunately, financial troubles led to bankruptcy in 1934, and the park’s lease was taken over by Ramsgate Olympia Ltd, who would run the park for the next 54 years

During the 1930s one of the sideshow attractions was Leslie, “England’s fattest baby…playing in his nursery surrounded by pretty toys” who reportedly weighed nearly 10 stone despite being only 3 years old. The park also contained “the biggest monkey house in England” where up to 100 chimps would be kept on display. They were also available to purchase either as pets or for medical research. In 1934 two of them escaped and “embarked on a career of damage” destroying deckchairs, stalls and whatever else they could find. After several days evading capture they were both shot dead.

In December 1935 a rock fall from the adjacent cliff destroyed the ghost train and the following month an even bigger section, reported to weigh 500 tons, destroyed the roller coaster, now known as the Alpine Coaster. It was not rebuilt and was replaced the following year with a new coaster which had operated at the previous year’s Brussels Expo where it was called The Slide for Life.

In 1936 the park owners reopened part of the old railway tunnel by installing a 2ft gauge electric railway inside. It ran for 3/4 a mile to the nearby Dumpton Park greyhound stadium and this involved traveling half a mile through the old tunnel and then veering off into a new tunnel for the last 1/4 mile. In 1938, after war seemed imminent, the Ramsgate tunnel system was extensively enlarged to serve as an air raid shelter able to accommodate 60,000 people. Over 3 miles of new tunnels were constructed and complete by June the following year.

In 1957 a park employee fatally stabbed an American airman at the main entrance in a fight over an unpaid debt.

In 1965 the park was renamed Pleasurama. Also that year the tunnel railway was closed due to low ridership and an accident earlier that season. The owning company also changed its name to Pleasurama Ltd. 

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Pleasurama Ltd expanded to become a huge nationwide leisure operation with bars, ballrooms, casinos, restaurants and nightclubs. In 1968 they launched a failed £705,000 bid to take over the Dreamland park in Margate. In 1977 Grand Metropolitan acquired a 30% stake.

In 1988 the Pleasurama group was sold to Mecca Leisure for £745 million. Mecca had no interest in running the amusement park so the lease was taken over by local businessman Jimmy Godden. The following year he announced plans to reopen the old railway tunnel and turn it into an interactive World War 2 museum called the ‘Blitz Experience’. But it all hinged on the council selling him the freehold to the land, which they were reluctant to do. Godden was later caught attempting to bribe a local councilor regarding the sale of this land and in March 1991 he received a 6 month jail term, suspended for two years, and a £25,000 fine. The Blitz development was scrapped.

 In 1996 Godden was able to acquire the freehold of the amusement park site and soon announced plans to convert the original station buildings into a factory shopping outlet. Sadly it was all destroyed by fire in May 1998.

The following year plans were announced to rebuild the site with a mixture of retail and leisure facilities but it never happened. In 2001 the land was compulsory bought back by the council and after sitting abandoned for 15 years it was sold again in 2016 for £3.5 million and construction started on a new upmarket apartment development which, after various delays and financial issues, was finally opened in 2024 as Royal Sands.

Explore Ramsgate’s Historic Tunnel System

The Ramsgate tunnel system, once used as a railway and later as an air raid shelter, is now a fascinating historical site. Opened to the public in 2014, the tunnels offer guided walking tours that explore the underground passages, showcasing their role during wartime and their transformation from a transport hub to a local landmark.

Do you have memories of Merrie England or Pleasureama amusement park? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!