I

n case you were wondering, a ‘chine’ is a steep river valley that flows to the sea, and this one is located on the Isle of Wight’s heritage coast, near Ventnor.

In fact, Blackgang is actually one of the UK’s oldest amusement parks, dating way back to 1843. But don’t worry, the rides have been updated slightly since then.

Scattered around 40 acres of cliff-top gardens, there’s lots laid on to get the little ones excited, from the eccentric – wait til you see the Hall of Funny Mirrors or the Giant Hedge Maze – to the animated (try the Musical Pet Shop or the Crooked House). There’s even a giant version of snakes and ladders, complete with huge slides and everything.

For the bigger kids meanwhile (i.e. dad), there’s a butt-clenchingly scary rollercoaster perched on the cliff edge, 120 metres above the sea – watch him strap in and wait for the embarrassing scream….