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et’s face it, when it comes to theme parks, they don’t get much bigger and better than this place. In fact Alton Towers is the UK’s largest amusement park, with 29 rides spread across a whopping 800 acres of Staffordshire countryside. And let’s face it; it’s come a long way since 1980, when it opened with the Corkscrew, the Alpine Bob sled ride and a swinging Pirate Ship.

The latest addition to the place is Thirteen (spelt ‘Th13teen’), which sees you fly through the woods at scary mph before ending up inside a dark ‘crypt’, where both you and the track freefall for 20ft. In the pitch black. Yikes.

While the ad’ for Thirteen on the Alton Towers website is enough to send shivers down your spine, it’s not all about scaring yourself silly. The park’s divided into different zones so you pick the area to match your mood. If you’re here with the little ones then head to Magic & Young Fun, where can take a journey through Willie Wonka’s world on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride, travel through the treetops on Squirrel Nutty and loads more.

There are three other areas packed with different rides and attractions – way more than anyone can handle in a whole day. Luckily there are two hotels here, though, so you can always come back tomorrow for another dose...