Alton Towers - The Wicker Man

Marley’s Western Red Cedar Shakes have been specified for the huts on Alton Towers Resort’s latest attraction, Wicker Man, which opened this month.

Wicker Man is the UK’s first new wooden rollercoaster to be built in over 20 years, and the first ever to combine fire and wood. Costing over £16 million to build, it offers riders a truly immersive experience, with a fiery twist.

The setting for Wicker Man is the world of the Beornen, a fictional community living in the woods around Alton, Staffordshire who have built the wicker deity in the hope of achieving eternal wellbeing.

The ride features a number of huts located around its wooden track, all of which used Marley’s Western Red Cedar Shakes in order to continue the woodland theming.

As part of the project, Marley supplied 327 bundles of its Blue Label Western Red Cedar Shakes, which were used to create over 800m2 of roofing as part of the Wicker Man attraction.

The construction of the unique ride was project managed by Neil Walker, at Merlin Entertainment who comments: “The task of building a rollercoaster which combines fire and wood required careful planning in order to bring our vision to life. However, for us, it’s not just about creating the ride itself but also theming its surroundings to deliver a truly immersive experience to our guests.

“The structures including the ride station, pre-show theatre and retail unit are a key part of the ride, so it was crucial to us that they were in keeping with the rest of the ride.  It was tricky to find a product that worked aesthetically and would also be enduring.  We were thrilled to find a local supplier who could deliver just what we needed.”