A Walk in the Park: Drayton Manor Theme Park

Jul 3 2009 by Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

USUALLY when you’re out and about in a park, the worry is that you might get bitten by a ‘trophy’ dog whose owner has no idea how to control it.

At Drayton Manor Theme Park, there’s no such problem.

It’s the man-eating tigers you have to look out for!

Thankfully, they’re safely behind bars in quite a long compound.

Not ideal perhaps, all things being equal, but at least they’re a living reminder of how we need to preserve the few left living in the wild.

The tigers are just one of the attractions at the theme park which successfully mixes all of its many ingredients into a grand day out.

Our latest visit was on Father’s Day, when the queues for some of the rides were pretty busy.

Understandably so, given that the all-in admission price is £25 for adults or £21 for children aged four to 11 (£100 for a family of five like ours).

The zoo was nice and quiet by comparison and it’s really lovely to take time out here just to enjoy the walk.

The mature trees offer lots of shade that’s not always present in the main rides area and there’s running water and wild flowers too.

Since our last visit, a fabulous new Thomas Land playground has been built at the back of the zoo.

It’s now one of the best in the Midlands to rank alongside ones at Conkers and Weston Park.

The main attraction is Spencer the Train, which comes complete with several carriages.

Children can run along it, crawl though the tube ‘wheels’ and rush down slides.

It’s not dissimilar to the playground next to the main lake at Cannon Hill Park, except that you can imagine children find this one much more fun.

Walking round Drayton Manor without being fixated by the rides makes you realise that it really is a special park within a park.

Complete with the usual wildlife inhabitants with webbed feet, the large lake would grace any ‘rival’, from Sutton Park to Walsall Arboretum.

And it’s not every day that you can hear mass screams in a park, see a Big Wheel sticking out behind a tree or watch a tiger eating lunch.

* Visitor Info

Drayton Manor Park is near Tamworth on the A4091, close to Junctions 9 & 10 of the M42. Details: www.draytonmanor.co.uk or call 0844 472 1960. Free coach and car parking. Visit website to register for special offers and savings.