User blog:Cosmobo/Cosmobo's Haunted Theme Park Blog 2: Alton Towers

Has anyone here been to Alton Towers? Alton Towers is home to many thrill rides and mostly known for it's most famous ride The Smiler. It's also famous for one of the worst theme park accidents in a British Theme Park. But putting behind the horror of the accidents...We've got some ghosts in this place. Yes, Alton Towers is haunted...

The most haunted place in the park is the ride called The Hex. The ride is actually in a old castle which is known for having a terrible curse put on it in the early years of the castle...You may know the story of the ghost from the actual ride! Yes, the staff decided to put the story of the castle to action and make a ride out of it! Here is the story...

Hex tells the story of the Chained Oak Tree, a legend based on the towers themselves. The story has been a local legend for years, but was slightly altered in the ride to make the attraction more appealing.

The legend says that the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury was cursed by an old beggarwoman to suffer a death in the family every time a branch fell from the old oak tree. Hex's version embellishes the end of the 'original' tale with the Earl experimenting on one of the fallen branches in a vault deep within the Towers themselves, and it is this vault, with its entrance bricked up behind a bookcase, that has supposedly been sealed up for two centuries and only recently discovered during renovation work. This is explained is several scenes during the experience.

So, now you've heard the story! Have you not? Do you want to hear more? Ok...

The legend goes that on an autumn night Earl of Shrewsbury was returning to his home at Alton Towers when an old woman suddenly appeared in the road. The coach stopped to find why she was there, and then the old woman begged for a coin. The Earl cruelly dismissed her, so the old woman placed a curse on him. The old woman said, "For every branch on the Old Oak Tree here that falls, a member of the Earl’s family will die." The Earl dismissed this and carried on his way.

The same night a violent storm caused a single branch from the old oak tree to break and fall. Later that same night, a member of the Earl’s family[who?] suddenly and mysteriously died. This version was adapted for the Alton Towers ride "Hex", with the ride depicting a bolt of lighting striking the tree and causing the branch to fall.

The Earl ordered his servants to chain every branch together to prevent other branches from falling. To this day the Oak tree remains chained up

Creepy right? Well, the legends of the ghosts don't stop there! People who cue for the ride all say that they have felt invisible rocks hit their heads...Even staff have noted seeing ghostly children playing in the ride. One member of staff said just before the ride was about to open he was exploring the hall. He said he felt something on his shoulder and all of a sudden felt a punch in the back. He said he was then pushed to the ground and punched repeatedly until it stopped. He said he looked around and no one was there and he was the only person in the ride....So, who wants to work inside that dark ride? Um, not me...

Well, that's all for this theme park! I hope you enjoyed! Make sure to leave a comment about what I should do next! :)