Clarence Pier facts for kids
| Location | Portsmouth, England |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1861 |
| Slogan | One of the Largest Amusement Parks on the South Coast! |
| Operating season | March to Late October |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 13 (14 including Golf) |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 1 |
Clarence Pier is a fun amusement pier located in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It's right next to the Southsea Hoverport. Unlike many piers in the UK, Clarence Pier doesn't stretch far into the sea. Instead, it runs along the coast!
The pier first opened way back in 1861. The Prince and Princess of Wales were there for the opening! It even had a regular ferry service to the Isle of Wight. Sadly, the pier was damaged during World War II air raids. It was rebuilt and reopened on June 1, 1961, looking much like it does today.
The main entrance from the road is a cool building with yellow and blue colors and a small tower. This building used to have an arcade and a cafe. More recently, the top floor has been a children's play area called "Pirate Pete's" and a Wimpy restaurant. The "Golden Horseshoe" arcade and "Coffee Cup" (which used to be a bingo hall) are still on the ground floor.
Another building, separate from the main one, holds another arcade called "Clarence Pier" (it used to be called "Wheel Of Fortune"). It also has some small gift shops. The top floor of this building was once a pub. Later, in 1995, it became a dinosaur-themed dark ride called 'Jurassic 3001'. This ride had a giant robotic triceratops head sticking out that would roar at people! The dinosaur ride closed in 2001. The space was later turned into apartments.
There's also a building next to the funfair with an arcade called "Games Wharf" and "The Boat House."
Contents
What is Clarence Pier?
The main funfair at Clarence Pier lets you enter for free! You pay for rides using tokens. In the early 1980s, the park was called "Fun Acres." It was much bigger then, taking up a lot more land. This extra land was later redeveloped. It now has another arcade, a crazy golf course, and a hotel. Because of this, the park is smaller than it used to be. The older part of the park had a big Ferris wheel and a ghost train.
One of the most famous rides at Clarence Pier until the mid-1990s was the Super Loop. The old Ferris wheel was moved to another park called Pleasureland Southport. The Skyways roller coaster was another long-lasting ride, but it was removed in 2018. A fun new addition to the pier is a pirate-themed crazy golf course. It's located behind the Clarence Pier arcade.
Clarence Pier has even been on TV! An episode of the British comedy show "Mr. Bean" called "Mind the Baby, Mr. Bean" was filmed here in 1994. You can see the Super Loop, Skyways roller coaster, and many other rides from that time in the episode. The teen pop band "S Club Juniors" also filmed their song "Fool No More" at Clarence Pier. They filmed mostly on the dodgems, but the Skyways roller coaster can be seen in their video too.
Rides and Attractions
Clarence Pier has many exciting rides for all ages! Here's a look at some of the rides you can enjoy.
- Key
- Roller Coasters
- Water Rides
- Dark Rides
Rides You Can Enjoy Now
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Music Trip! | 2021 | A fun Miami-style ride that spins and lifts you. |
| Super Trooper | 2021 | A modern version of a classic "Paratrooper" ride, spinning you high in the air. |
| Canyon River | 2020 | A small Log Flume water ride with one splashy drop. |
| Mad Mouse | 2019 | A "Cyclon" style roller coaster with sharp turns and drops. |
| Tidal Wave | 2019 | An exciting spinning roller coaster that twists and turns. |
| Diamond Dodgems | 2017 | A classic Bumper Cars ride where you can bump into your friends! |
| Circus Train | 2016 | A cute train ride for younger kids with a locomotive and carriages. |
| Flying Dumbos | 2015 | A fun ride where you can fly around in elephant-shaped cars. |
| Air Balloon Ride | 2011 | A ride with balloon-themed cars that fly and spin. |
| Sky Trail/Pier Pressure | 2011 | A challenging high ropes course where you can test your balance. |
| Balloon Wheel | 2010 | A Ferris wheel with colorful balloon-themed cabins. |
| Twister | 2004 | A modern version of a traditional "Twister" ride that spins you around. |
| Pirate Golf | Early 2000s | A pirate-themed mini-golf course for some friendly competition. |
| Carousel | 1998 | A beautiful, modern version of a traditional Carousel with horses. |
| Waltzer | 1982 | A classic spinning Waltzer ride that's been refurbished with new lights. |
Past Rides and Attractions
Over the years, Clarence Pier has had many different rides. Here are a few notable ones that are no longer there:
| Name | Years Operated | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Solent Wheel | 2016-2020 | A large Ferris wheel that was 110 feet tall. It was removed due to concerns about birds. |
| Skyways | 1980-2017 | A famous roller coaster that was even featured in a Mr. Bean episode. It was replaced by the Mad Mouse. |
| Speedy Gonzales/Speedy Coaster | 2011-2017 | A junior roller coaster themed after the Looney Tunes character. |
| Dodgems | 2000-2016 | An older set of Bumper Cars that was replaced by the current Diamond Dodgems. |
| Disk-O | 2005-2010 | A popular ride that spun and swung riders back and forth on a large disk. |
| Wild River | 1998-2009 | A standard Log Flume water ride with two drops. |
| Power Tower | 2002-2006 | A thrilling drop tower ride. |
| Paratrooper | 1976-2004 | A traditional Paratrooper (ride) ride that spun riders in the air. |
| Jurassic 3001 | 1995-2001 | A dark ride with a dinosaur theme, known for its roaring robotic triceratops outside. |
| The Big Wheel | 1964-2000 | A large, 56-seat Ferris wheel that was a landmark at the pier for many years. |
| Ghost Train | 1950-1995 | A traditional ghost train that gave riders a spooky experience. |
| Super Loop | 1984-1990s | A thrilling loop ride that turned riders upside down. |
| Wild Mouse | 1960-1979 | An early steel Wild Mouse roller coaster that was replaced by Skyways. |
The Solent Eye Ferris Wheel
There have been plans for a big Ferris wheel at Clarence Pier for a long time. In 2007, there was a proposal for a 130-foot-tall wheel. Then, they wanted an even bigger one, 180 feet tall! But these plans were eventually cancelled because the wheel was too large.
In 2015, a new plan for a 110-foot wheel was approved. This wheel, called the Solent Wheel, opened in Easter 2016. It was very popular! However, it was taken down in September 2016 and moved to Ireland. Good news though, it returned to Clarence Pier in 2018, and stayed for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. It closed for the final time on September 27, 2020.
Images for kids
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Clarence Pier seen from Gosport.
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Clarence Pier in June 2018.
