Wanderlust World Wanderlust World When Arrow Dynamics unveiled Vampire at Chessington World of Adventures in 1990, it didn't just bring a new roller coaster to the UK—it introduced an entirely new breed of thrill. As Britain's first suspended swinging coaster, Vampire lets your legs dangle freely as you scream through a haunted Transylvanian landscape, and three decades later, it remains one of the park's most talked-about attractions.
The adventure begins in a crumbling gothic station where fog machines hiss and a vampire-themed soundtrack sets the mood. Once dispatched, the train climbs 25 metres (82 ft) before plunging into 750 metres (2,461 ft) of track that twists, dives, and inverts at speeds up to 55 mph (89 km/h).
Unlike traditional coasters where the track sits beneath you, Vampire's cars hang from the rails, swinging freely through five distinct inversions: a vertical loop, a corkscrew, a zero-g roll, and two downward spirals. That suspended design amplifies every movement—your body banks naturally into turns, and the zero-g roll delivers a genuine moment of weightlessness that floorless coasters simply can't replicate.
Veteran coaster enthusiasts and first-timers alike cite Vampire's psychological edge. The open-sided trains, combined with near-miss theming elements—gothic arches, twisted trees, and sudden bursts of strobe-lit fog—create a persistent sense of vulnerability. Publications from CoasterForce to Theme Park Tourist have repeatedly voted it among Britain's best coasters, not for raw statistics, but for that rare blend of intensity and atmosphere.
Whether you're a coaster completist chasing UK firsts or a family looking for a gateway thrill, Vampire delivers a uniquely British horror story—one you live legs-first.