Dreamland Margate

Dreamland Margate is a traditional English seaside amusement park and entertainment centre in Margate, Kent. Its site has hosted leisure activities since the nineteenth century, but the Dreamland name dates from 1920, when entrepreneur John Henry Iles opened the Scenic Railway, a large wooden roller coaster inspired by attractions at Coney Island. The ride became the park’s defining landmark and remains one of its most important heritage assets. The location developed from a former tidal area known as the Mere. After the construction of a causeway and seawall, the site became available for commercial and recreational use. A restaurant and dance hall known as the Hall by the Sea opened in an unused railway terminus in the 1860s. Circus proprietor George Sanger later developed the surrounding land into pleasure gardens containing a menagerie, ornamental features, sideshows and mechanical rides. Early attractions included simulated boating machines installed around 1880 and a large skating rink opened in the 1890s. Following Sanger’s death, the property was acquired in 1919 by Iles, who invested heavily in the site and reshaped it as a modern amusement resort. The Scenic Railway opened in 1920, followed by a ballroom, cinema, additional rides and other entertainment facilities. Iles and his family controlled the business for much of the period from 1919 to 1968. After the Second World War, the park received investment associated with Butlins, while later owners introduced attractions such as an ice rink, zoo, squash courts and increasingly modern thrill rides. The park was acquired by the Dutch Bembom brothers in 1981 and temporarily renamed Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme Park. Their tenure brought new rides, including the Looping Star roller coaster, and changed the operating model from pay-per-ride admission to an entrance charge. The Dreamland name returned in 1990. In the 1990s and early 2000s, however, the park faced structural pressure from the decline of traditional British seaside holidays, competition from larger attractions nearer London and changing visitor patterns. Under owner Jimmy Godden, rides were progressively sold or relocated, and the park entered a period of decline. Godden announced a proposed closure and redevelopment in 2003. The site was sold in 2005 to the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, while a local campaign sought to preserve and restore it as a heritage amusement park. Dreamland eventually closed to the public in 2005, leaving the listed Scenic Railway in place. The neglected site suffered several fires, including a 2008 arson attack that severely damaged part of the roller coaster. The Dreamland cinema also closed, although its heritage status was strengthened and its historic features were retained. The restoration campaign led to the creation of the Dreamland Trust in 2007. Public funding was assembled to conserve the listed buildings and Scenic Railway, while Thanet District Council ultimately obtained control of the amusement-park site through a compulsory purchase process completed in 2013. Designers Wayne Hemingway, Gerardine Hemingway and HemingwayDesign were appointed to develop a new visual and cultural concept. The attraction reopened in June 2015 as a re-imagined Dreamland, combining heritage rides, contemporary amusement facilities, food and drink, events and entertainment. The initial operating company became insolvent in December 2015 and continued operating under administration. A further refurbishment and relaunch followed in 2017, supported by the major creditor and additional private investment. Dreamland’s current identity combines the preservation of a nationally significant seaside attraction with a broader entertainment programme. Its offer includes the Scenic Railway, amusement rides, roller skating, dining, live events and use of the historic cinema and surrounding spaces. The brand is consequently positioned less as a conventional modern theme park than as a cultural and leisure destination built around nostalgia, local regeneration and the living heritage of the British seaside.

The origins of Dreamland lie in the transformation of Margate’s former Mere, a low-lying area that was protected from tidal flooding by a causeway and seawall in the early nineteenth century. Railway development later gave the area new commercial potential. A restaurant and dance hall called the Hall by the Sea opened in an unused railway terminus during the 1860s. The venue was acquired by the Reeve family in 1870, and circus entrepreneur George Sanger became involved in its management. Sanger developed land behind the Hall into pleasure gardens with an ornamental lake, a mock abbey, statues, sideshows, roundabouts and a menagerie. Some of the historic animal cages and boundary structures associated with this period survive. The site began offering mechanical amusements by about 1880, including devices that simulated the movement of boats at sea. A substantial skating rink followed in 1893. The attraction’s early history was closely connected with Sanger’s circus business, for which the menagerie also served as a breeding and training facility. After Sanger’s death in 1911, the site passed through an uncertain period before being purchased in 1919 by John Henry Iles. Iles had experience developing amusement parks internationally and had been influenced by Coney Island. He secured European rights to LaMarcus Adna Thompson’s Scenic Railway design and began building the wooden coaster in 1919. It opened in 1920, the same year that Iles adopted the Dreamland name. The ride was an immediate success and became the central symbol of the park. Iles expanded Dreamland with a ballroom, variety cinema, additional roller coasters, a Joy Wheel, miniature railway, The Whip and River Caves. He invested more than £500,000 between 1920 and 1935, culminating in a cinema complex opened in 1934. His son Eric later took over management. During the Second World War, much of the site was requisitioned, and the park reopened in June 1946. Butlins provided investment from 1947, helping the attraction participate in the post-war expansion of British seaside leisure. The Iles family retained control until 1968, when Associated Leisure acquired the business. The new owners added facilities including squash courts, an ice rink and a zoo, while the pleasure gardens were gradually replaced by a larger concentration of rides. A major new attraction, the Orbiter, appeared in 1976 and became influential across the wider amusement industry. A large wheel opened in 1980 and became a prominent feature of the Margate skyline. The Bembom brothers purchased Dreamland in 1981 and renamed it Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme Park. They introduced the Looping Star roller coaster and other technologically advanced rides, changed the admission system and made the park one of Britain’s more highly visited attractions by the late 1980s. The original name returned in 1990. In 1996, the Bembom family sold the site to local operator Jimmy Godden. Although grant-supported redevelopment was attempted, the park’s ride inventory was reduced and several major attractions were sold or transferred elsewhere. The wider economics of British seaside tourism contributed to Dreamland’s difficulties. From the 1970s, inexpensive overseas package holidays weakened the traditional week-long domestic resort market. At the same time, larger theme parks opened closer to London, and Dreamland lacked on-site parking. Godden announced a closure and redevelopment proposal in 2003. The site was sold to the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company in 2005, and the park finally closed that year after continuing for a period beyond its originally proposed shutdown date. The closure prompted the Save Dreamland Campaign, which argued for a heritage amusement park rather than residential redevelopment. The Scenic Railway had received Grade II listing in 2002 and therefore remained on site after other rides were removed. A fire in April 2008 destroyed approximately a quarter of the structure and damaged the station, sheds and trains. The cinema closed in 2007 after a new multiplex opened elsewhere, but its listed status was upgraded to Grade II* in 2008. Further legal and planning disputes delayed the future of the site. The Dreamland Trust was established in 2007 to coordinate restoration. Public funding from heritage and local-government sources supported conservation of the Scenic Railway, historic buildings and other structures, as well as the acquisition of heritage rides. Thanet District Council pursued compulsory purchase proceedings and gained ownership in 2013. In 2012, HemingwayDesign was appointed to shape the attraction’s design and brand concept. Restoration of the Scenic Railway began in 2014, including reconstruction work and new trains. Dreamland reopened in June 2015 as a re-imagined attraction, combining the restored heritage setting with new rides, a roller disco, dining, events and other entertainment. Its operating company entered insolvency in December of that year, but the venue continued under administration. A second refurbishment and relaunch in 2017 provided a more stable basis for operation. Dreamland now functions as both an amusement park and a regeneration-oriented cultural venue, using its historic identity to connect Margate’s seaside past with contemporary visitor experiences.

• 2017

  Second relaunch

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  A further refurbishment and relaunch followed the operating company’s insolvency in 2015.

• 2015

  Reopening as Re-imagined Dreamland

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The attraction reopened after restoration and redevelopment, with heritage and contemporary entertainment elements.

• 2013

  Thanet District Council takes ownership

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  A compulsory purchase process transferred the amusement-park site to the local authority.

• 2007

  Dreamland Trust established

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  A charity was formed to coordinate efforts to preserve and reopen Dreamland as a heritage attraction.

• 2005

  Public closure

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The park closed after redevelopment plans and the removal of most rides from the site.

• 1990

  Dreamland name restored

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The attraction reverted from the Bembom branding to Dreamland.

• 1981

  Bembom Brothers acquisition

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The Dutch Bembom brothers acquired the park and temporarily renamed it Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme Park.

• 1968

  Associated Leisure becomes owner

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The Iles family’s long period of control ended with the sale to Associated Leisure.

• 1934

  Dreamland cinema complex opens

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  A major cinema complex was added to the expanding amusement and entertainment site.

• 1920

  Dreamland name and Scenic Railway launch

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The park adopted the Dreamland name and opened its landmark wooden Scenic Railway.

• 1919

  John Henry Iles acquires the site

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  Iles purchased the attraction and began transforming it into a large modern amusement park.

• 1880

  Early mechanical rides appear

  [1]Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org

  The site began offering amusement rides, including machines designed to simulate the motion of boats at sea.

A heritage-led seaside amusement and entertainment destination that combines historic rides and architecture with contemporary leisure, dining and events.

• wooden roller coaster · 1920

  Scenic Railway

  Dreamland’s defining attraction is a historic wooden Scenic Railway opened in 1920. It is a listed structure and uses a traditional railway-style operating system in which a brakeman controls the train during the ride. The coaster was heavily damaged by fire in 2008 but was subsequently restored as the centrepiece of the park’s heritage redevelopment. Its survival and continued operation distinguish Dreamland from many modern amusement parks.

• amusement rides · 2015

  Heritage amusement rides

  The post-restoration attraction includes a collection of historic and heritage-inspired rides, assembled partly from equipment donated or transferred from other British amusement parks. The collection supports Dreamland’s identity as a living museum of seaside entertainment while retaining the practical experience of a working funfair. The exact ride mix has changed over time as attractions are restored, installed and refreshed.

• leisure and dining · 2015

  Roller Disco and Diner

  The Roller Disco and Diner extends Dreamland beyond conventional rides by combining roller skating, music and food service. It forms part of the attraction’s contemporary entertainment offer and reflects the redevelopment strategy of using the historic site for all-weather and evening activities as well as traditional amusement rides.

• cinema and events · 1934

  Dreamland cinema and event spaces

  The historic cinema and associated buildings provide cultural, event and entertainment capacity within the wider Dreamland complex. Although the original cinema closed after the opening of a multiplex elsewhere in Margate, the building’s heritage significance has been preserved and its spaces contribute to the venue’s broader programme.

• 2007Dreamland Trust restoration campaign

  United Kingdom

  The Dreamland Trust coordinated fundraising, heritage advocacy and plans for the conservation of the Scenic Railway, listed buildings and historic rides.

  Outcome. The project secured public funding and helped establish the heritage-led model used for the 2015 reopening.

  Source
• 2005Save Dreamland Campaign

  United Kingdom

  Local residents and supporters organized a campaign to prevent the former amusement park site from being converted primarily to residential use. The campaign promoted a heritage amusement park based on historic rides and the preservation of Dreamland’s identity.

  Outcome. The campaign helped sustain public and political support for restoration, contributing to the later creation of the Dreamland Trust and the eventual reopening of the attraction.

  Source

• 2015

  Reopening as Re-imagined DreamlandProduct launch

  Background

  After years of disuse, heritage campaigning, public funding and restoration work, the site was prepared for a new operating model.

  Action taken

  Dreamland reopened with the restored Scenic Railway, heritage rides, newer attractions, dining, roller skating and event facilities.

  Aftermath

  The operating company became insolvent later in 2015, but the attraction continued under administration and underwent another relaunch in 2017.

  Source

• 2003

  Closure and redevelopment proposalStrategy

  Background

  Declining attendance, changing seaside tourism patterns and competition from larger parks contributed to pressure on the attraction.

  Action taken

  Owner Jimmy Godden announced plans to close Dreamland and redevelop the site.

  Aftermath

  The proposal triggered the Save Dreamland campaign, prolonged planning and ownership disputes, and ultimately preceded the park’s public closure in 2005.

  Source

• 1981

  Temporary rebranding as Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme ParkStrategy

  Background

  Following acquisition by the Dutch Bembom brothers, the owners sought to modernize the attraction and associate it with a more intense thrill-ride proposition.

  Action taken

  The Dreamland name was replaced temporarily, new rides were introduced and the admission model was changed to an entrance charge rather than payment for individual rides.

  Aftermath

  The park later returned to the Dreamland name in 1990, while several of the operational changes and new attractions shaped its late twentieth-century identity.

  Source

1. 1Dreamland Margateen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Dreamland Margate websitedreamland.co.uk