Tucktonia facts for kids

Tucktonia was a fun theme park that opened in the late 1970s. It was located in Christchurch, England, on Stour Road. The park first opened its doors on May 23, 1976, with a special ceremony led by the famous entertainer Arthur Askey.

Tucktonia covered about 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of land, which was part of the larger Tuckton Park Leisure Complex. Sadly, the park closed down in 1986. Today, homes have been built where the park once stood.

Discovering Tucktonia's Main Attractions

Tucktonia was most famous for its amazing model village. This village had tiny versions of famous places, including a detailed model of London!

The Miniature Train Ride

One of the cool rides at Tucktonia was a small steam train. It was a narrow gauge train, meaning its tracks were closer together than regular trains. After the park closed, this train and some other parts were moved to the Moors Valley Railway. You can find that railway in the Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood, Hampshire.

The Roller Coaster Rumour

There's a story that before Tucktonia closed, the owners wanted to build a roller coaster. They planned to put it at the back of the park. However, the local council did not give them permission. It's said that the park closed soon after this decision.

Inspiration and Builders

The idea for Tucktonia came from Harry Stiller, who was a famous racing driver. He lived in the area for many years. The designers of Tucktonia got a lot of ideas from the Bekonscot Model Village in Buckinghamshire. Most of the tiny models were built by a company called KLF Ltd. This company later created similar models for another theme park called "The American Adventure."

Tucktonia's Movie Star Moment

Did you know Tucktonia's model village was used in movies? Some people thought the miniature London landmarks were destroyed during the filming of the 1985 alien movie Lifeforce. However, other sources say that the movie's special effects team used their own models for the destruction scenes.

A model of Buckingham Palace from Tucktonia actually survived! It was moved to the Wimborne Model Town in 2002 and then to the Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth in 2006.

There are also stories that many models were not destroyed after the park closed. Some say they were stored in a barn until it burned down in 2001.

Tucktonia was even featured on TV! The BBC Television show Multi-Coloured Swap Shop once broadcast live from the park. Also, the park's model London was used in the 1976 movie Queen Kong, which was a funny take on the King Kong story.

Famous Places in the Model Village

The model village at Tucktonia featured tiny versions of many well-known British landmarks.

• Christchurch Priory
• Prospect of Whitby (a famous London pub)
• A "typical" British High Street
• London's Tower Bridge
• The Victoria Embankment
• The Houses of Parliament
• Westminster Bridge
• Cleopatra's Needle
• HMS "Discovery"
• The National Westminster Tower
• Piccadilly Circus

Rides and Fun at Tucktonia

When Tucktonia was open, visitors could enjoy many different rides and attractions.

• Various small fairground rides
• Lots of kiddie rides, like mini bumper motorcycles
• A big six-lane Fun Slide shaped like a magic castle
• A boating lake with fun motorised bumper boats
• An Amusement Arcade with games
• Ride-on small-scale Landrover cars
• A Crazy Golf or nine-hole golf course
• The 7+1⁄4-inch miniature narrow gauge Steam Train (which later moved to Moors Valley Railway)
• The famous Model village
• A 2+1⁄2-inch gauge electric model railway with half a mile of track and 75 tiny trains
• A Cafeteria for snacks
• The Golfers Arms restaurant
• The Roy of the Rovers bar, which was just for children
• A Go-kart track
• A mini-Cinema showing cartoons
• Shops where you could buy Souvenirs

What Happened After Tucktonia Closed?

After Tucktonia closed in 1986, all the park buildings and attractions were removed. At first, the land was used for a public house (a pub) called "The Olde Colonial." Later, it became "Bar Max." These pubs were in the original buildings that Harry Stiller had built, and he also ran them. They were very popular with both local people and tourists. One of Harry Stiller's original race cars was even displayed on a wall in the main bar!

In the 1990s, these buildings were also taken down. Now, a number of retirement flats (apartments) stand on the site where Tucktonia once brought joy to many families.