Wicker Man — Attraction in Staffordshire Moorlands

To sum up, 11/10.

From start to finish this is the best themed ride in the UK. I'd love to say 'the world' but having not been on every ride in the world, I'll hold back...

Theme-wise, it's important to know that Wicker Man feels complete. Every piece of the jigsaw feels considered and the result is an experience that surely cannot be equalled on these shores, perhaps beyond.

The queue leads you through the wooden maze and gives you a sense of what is to come with fantastic views of the ride itself, and of course the imposing Wicker Man. You'll also be treated to the roar of the trains rushing past, which is unique to wooden coasters... That noise is quite something.

The pre-show is perfect... In length, tone and content. For once in this country we have a re-rideable pre-show. On my eighth ride I deliberately got to the front, turned around and watched people's faces... They were enraptured, and at moments which I won't spoil, their reactions were excellent.

Onto the ride itself... Sublime. I'm not going to ruin the surprise but I will say that the layout is perfect. Exactly the right about of give and take, rise and fall. This really feels like a proper woodie. You'll have a different ride depending on where you sit but as a general rule...

Front - Fast... You'll feel pushed forward by the force of belief from the Beornen Middle - Best for taking in the layout and enjoying the majesty of this engineering feat. Back - Rattle... You'll be dragged along by the Beornen to your inevitable fate with a force you cannot expect.

Wherever you ride it's fantastic. My tip would be the back, but that's just preference.

This really feels like a watershed moment in UK roller coaster design. We've seen years of steel beasts being faster, taller and weirder.

This is something new. This is a story. An experience. And above all else... a...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 – A Fiery Masterpiece! I had the chance to ride Wicker Man at Alton Towers, and wow—it’s an experience that goes beyond just the thrill of the coaster. From the moment you enter the queue, you’re immersed in a chilling, pagan-inspired world with incredible attention to detail. The atmosphere is intense, and the soundtrack builds tension in all the right ways. Once you're on the ride, you race through fire, smoke, and mist—riding straight into the giant Wicker Man effigy that towers above you. The combination of special effects, the smooth ride, and the sheer energy makes it feel way more intense than you’d expect for a wooden coaster. While it’s not the fastest coaster around, the pacing, airtime, and the fiery finale make it unforgettable. Riding it at night adds a whole new level of magic—don’t miss it if you can! Overall, Wicker Man is a thrilling, immersive ride with top-notch theming and a great balance of fun and intensity. Highly recommended for both coaster enthusiasts and anyone looking for something truly unique at...

First time at Alton Towers in 7 years and now the kids older and both over 1.2m, was our first chance at the Wicker Man. Usual Alton Towers, the queue experience prevented it from being a total slugfest, the bag storage is a nice touch (thank you Alton Towers for that) as leaving them at the station or at your feet is always a nervous moment and when you're carrying everything for 4 people along with merch you've got you don't want to be constantly getting a locker. Ride was brilliant the decor around the ride brought it all in nicely, wasn't too scary for the younger ones, wasn't boring for the older ones... Definitely up there with Nemesis as the family favourite.

2022 Update - Having missed the queue video/experience because of Covid it was cool to see it back. The ride is still just awesome and that queue experience part makes it fun, distracts you from queuing. If it had that Hex level story, it would be the template every ride...