Reading this article you will have undoubtedly visited one of the UK’s major theme park attractions – Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and the like. And whilst these offer the thrill of modern technology and exotic rides, they cannot top the nostalgic adventures that an old fashioned steam fair has to offer. Touring the UK regularly throughout the Summer, Carters operates some of the oldest working versions of a vintage fairground rides, and is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world.
If you’ve seen films like Paddington 2 and The Theory of Everything, you’ll immediately recognise the distinctive colourful patterns that are featured on the big screen. The fair brings along many vintage rides to enjoy including some dating back as far as the 1890s, as well as classic fairground games such as the coconut shy, hook-a-duck and a shooting range.
One of the most iconic rides you can find at Carters are the Steam Yachts – one of only two or three surviving versions in the UK. The yachts themselves were saved from a scrapyard many years ago along with a steam engine built in 1901 to run them. Painstakingly restored, the result is an explosion of beautiful hand painted colours but don’t let these fool you, the Steam Yachts offer quite the white knuckle ride!
Alongside the yachts, you can find many other typical fairground rides including the dodgems, swing boats, a ghost train and steam gallopers – try not to confuse the latter with the American version of the Carousel, which turns in the opposite direction. All the rides you will find are restored to the same glory they were originally built many years ago and the family at Carters are just as proud of their heritage as the thrills they offer visitors today.
Key Information about Carters Steam Fair
How much does it cost to visit Carters Steam Fair?
Entry to the Carter Steam Fair itself is free for all and there is often a night where Carters host a firework show free of charge at each location. For the rides themselves you’ll need to purchase some tokens which you can do in advance online or on the day at the various token booths dotted around the fair. If you book online you can avoid queuing on the day and as an added bonus you’ll score additional free rides.
Each token is 50p with rides and games costing 4-6 tokens per person. As a rule of thumb rides suited to younger children cost 4 tokens, those best for families cost 5 tokens and the white knuckle rides cost 6 tokens. Majority of games cost 5 tokens to play with many offering a prize to all contenders.
Where is Carters Steam Fair located?
Carters Steam Fair travels around the South East of England bringing their beautiful vintage steam fair to parks around the country. We visited the fair in Peckham Rye but they are touring to many other places this Summer including Bath, Basingstoke and Woking. You can check when Carters Steam Fair is coming to a park near you on their website.
What are the best rides for adults at Carters Steam Fair?
The most thrilling (and possibly slightly terrifying) ride at Carters Steam Fair has to be the Excelsior Steam Yachts. Pick the ‘Very Brave’ seats and hold on (very) tight as the yachts swing almost to vertical and you hold yourself in without restraints just like the olden days! Our favourite rides however had to be the Whirl-A-Round Twist and Lightning Skid both making us whoop with delight as we spun around and around.
What are the best rides for children at Carters Steam Fair?
Outside of the more thrilling rides Carters Steam Fair has a range of rides to delight younger children. Toddlers can drive a car or motorbike on The Toytown ride or enjoy Dobbies, a miniature carousel. Older children can feel the wind in their hair flying around on the Paramount Chair-o-Plane or ride the traditional Victorian Jubilee Steam Gallopers, one of the most iconic rides at the fair.
What food and drink is available at Carters Steam Fair?
There is a Burger Bar onsite at all Carters Steam Fair locations offering hot and cold drinks along with burgers and chips to keep you going through the day. For a traditional snack look no further than the Candy Floss stand where you can watch a pink fluffy cloud of sugar be spun in front of your eyes!
Our final thoughts on... Carters Steam Fair
We had an absolute blast at Carters Steam Fair and couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Summer’s afternoon if you’ve got little ones of your own or simply want to relive your youth! The rides were beautifully restored and showcased the ingenuity of these early fairground rides that were powered without any electricity. With such a range of rides and a jubilant atmosphere all round we’d challenge anyone not to love a visit to Carters Steam Fair.
Find Out More…
Carters Steam Fair – https://www.carterssteamfair.co.uk
Many thanks to Carters Steam Fair for hosting our day at the fair in Peckham. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
