Hampshire-based Paultons Park has officially welcomed its first visitors into a newly developed themed land, marking an expansion of the park’s ride portfolio.
The addition introduces several new experiences designed to diversify the UK park’s traditional visitor demographics as the summer season approaches.
The new zone, named Valgard: Realm of the Vikings, represents a £12 million capital investment, making it the largest development project undertaken by the family-owned operator to date. Opening Saturday, 16 May 2026, the 140-acre park’s latest land specifically targets families with older children and teenagers. This positioning strategy is intended to complement Paultons Park’s existing provisions for younger demographics, such as Peppa Pig World.
James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, explained the strategic direction behind the project: “We are thrilled to have opened the gates to Valgard: Realm of the Vikings today. The launch of this attraction and reveal of our most thrilling rollercoaster to date marks the start of an exciting new era for Paultons Park. We are committed to continuing to offer a memorable experience for young guests, while also growing and becoming more adventurous alongside our fans.”
Themed coaster experiences
At the centre of the Valgard expansion is Drakon, the park’s first-ever inverting rollercoaster. The ride incorporates a vertical lift hill and two distinct inversions, attracting substantial interest from theme park enthusiasts during the opening morning.
To balance the land’s operational capacity, Paultons Park has installed two additional mechanical rides alongside a dedicated children’s play area. The Vild Swing is a UK-first attraction that suspends and rotates passengers 12 metres in the air, serving as an introductory thrill experience. It is accompanied by Raven, a bobsled adventure designed to integrate with the surrounding Nordic village environment.
Mancey added: “As with everything we do at Paultons Park, we have designed and delivered Valgard with the whole family in mind. While brave warriors race around on Drakon and Raven, little ones will love our new play area, and the Vild Swing is a great introductory ride too. Valgard’s Feasting Hall provides a fantastic space for families to regroup and refuel together, before exploring the rest of Paultons Park.”
Immersive hospitality
The development also places an emphasis on secondary spend and food and beverage infrastructure through the introduction of the Feasting Hall restaurant. The dining space features detailed thematic elements, including a life-size Viking longship alongside a specially curated menu.
Park visitors Mia and Zoe commented on the design execution of the restaurant. Mia said: “The theming is incredible; I love the horns on the chandeliers, the tapestry, the shields, everything is immaculate, and the food is incredible too. As a history lover, I’m very happy to see that the space is quite historically accurate too!”
Zoe added: “You feel like you’ve gone back in time; it’s like I’m sitting here among the Vikings. It’s amazing, and so intricate; everywhere you look, literally, there’s something.”
Wholesome family fun
With the completion of Valgard, the family-run attraction in Ower, situated on the edge of the New Forest, now features more than 80 rides and attractions distributed across six lands. The park, which originally opened in 1983, has gradually developed themed environments, including the dinosaur-themed Lost Kingdom and the Midwestern America-themed Tornado Springs, the latter hosting the Cyclonator Gyro Swing and the free-spinning Storm Chaser Mack Rides coaster.
The park’s preschool offering, Peppa Pig World, remains a core driver for the business since its launch in 2011. The zone contains nine dedicated rides, including Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Flight, Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride, Grandpa Pig’s Little Train Ride, Grandpa Pig’s Boat Trip, Daddy Pig’s Car Ride, George’s Dinosaur Adventure, Windy Castle, The Queen’s Flying Coach Ride, and Grampy Rabbit’s Sailing Club, alongside interactive spaces like Peppa’s House, Mr Potato’s Playground, and the Muddy Puddles water splash park.
From an industry benchmarking perspective, Paultons Park currently holds a 4.5 out of 5 Tripadvisor rating compiled from over 10,000 reviews, with more than 7,500 guests rating the experience as ‘excellent’. In 2025, Tripadvisor ranked the destination as the fourth best-rated amusement park in Europe and eighth globally.
The park also secured 10 accolades at the 2025 UK Theme Park Awards. These included seven gold awards covering categories such as Theme Park of the Year, Best Theme Park for Families, Best Theme Park for Toddlers (large), and Best Customer Service. Its UK-first indoor dark ride, Ghostly Manor, was awarded Best New Attraction. Operatively, the park continues to compete in the regional market by offering free parking, free entry for children under 1 metre, and maintaining some of the lowest recorded ride queue times in the UK.
