Due to open in 2026, construction of Paultons Park‘s new themed area is well underway. The area is starting to clearly take shape, with most buildings in place; we’re now waiting on ride hardware to be installed. Take a look below at the latest progress in the development of Valgard: Realm of the Vikings!
Since opening Tornado Springs in 2021 (thanks a lot, COVID.), Paultons Park has set a new precedent for their themed areas and rides, and Valgard is certainly shaping up to match the standard!
The buildings and infrastructure of Valgard can been seen above, with a new dining location and toilet block, along with new and refurbished ride stations. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice the viking theme is appearing throughout the construction, with intricate patterns and decorations added to the buildings themselves. Check out the full picture gallery at the end to see more!
Perhaps the most anticipated addition to Paultons Park for the 2026 season will be the new rollercoaster ‘Drakon’. This custom Gerstlauer Eurofighter model will be the park’s first EVER inverting rollercoaster, featuring a 75.5ft beyond-vertical drop and two inversions. An excellent choice of coaster for an already renowned family park to push further into the thrill market, following the success of Cyclonator, the park’s exciting Zamperla Discovery Revolution 30 (which, I’m just going to add, is an interesting choice in itself – this model is actually designed to fully invert 360 degrees!).
The coaster model Paultons Park have chosen is a tried and tested coaster type, that has proven consistently popular in parks across the world. The UK has seen three of these coasters in the past, with Speed: No Limits at Oakwood (2006-2025), Rage at Adventure Island (2007), and Saw: The Ride at Thorpe Park (2009). A vertical lift hill, straight into a drop exceeding 90 degrees, is the defining feature of this ride model, and will surely create an impressive impact on the skyline of Paultons Park, alongside the existing Gerstlauer ‘bobsled’ coaster, Cobra… Soon to be ‘Raven’!
Anyway – back to Drakon – see below the latest photos of the track that has been delivered to the site!
© Theme Park Utopia
Valgard: Realm of the Vikings will also introduce a new, UK-first flat ride: a ‘Wild Swing’ by ART Engineering! Resembling a mini ‘Top Spin’ style ride (see below ‘Pendula’ at Fantasiana, Austria, for an example!), this non-inverting flat ride will swing riders up and over the new area, rising and falling again and again. It’s great to see Paultons Park branching out and providing the UK with unique new experiences!
© Theme Park Utopia
Opening in 2006 as ‘Cobra’, this Gerstlauer Bobsled coaster has delighted riders, perhaps even being the first medium-large family rollercoaster for many! Cobra has certainly been showing its age in recent years, so it is brilliant to see that it will be given a new lease of life and fresh coat of paint, being incorporated into Valgard. The station building has been slowly undergoing preparations for a complete re-theme whilst open, but the ride is now closed to the public to allow for the full refurbishment to take place, as well as to keep the area clear for the construction of Drakon.
What are you most excited for about this project? Will this new themed land encourage you to take a visit to Paultons Park next year? Check back soon for more updates on the construction of Valgard: Realm of the Vikings!
View all the latest Valgard photos below, taken by Theme Park Utopia:
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