Rare 1920s splash boat opens for rides
BBCOne of the UK's last remaining traditional water rides has officially reopened at East Park in Hull for the summer.
The Splash Boat, which is Grade II listed, will operate on weekends, bank holidays and throughout the school holidays, with tickets priced at £2 per ride.
With a 22ft (6.7m) climb and a 100ft (30.5m) descent, the boat ends with a spectacular splash into Ferens Boating Lake.
First opened in 1929, Hull's Splash Boat is one of only three water chutes of its kind still operating in the UK.
The others are located at Wicksteed Park near Kettering and a similar one in Scarborough.
The ride was built by the city's engineering department 96 years ago for £474 which would be about £32,000 today.
The attraction's equipment was purchased from Wicksteed & Co for £1,400.
The boat still had many of its original features which were carefully restored during a major refurbishment in 2021.
Hull City Council invested £250,000 to preserve the attraction and boost local tourism.
East Park's manager, Howard Flitton, said: "Hopefully many more people will come along and enjoy the experience - even the generations that are not with us yet."
Work was also due to start on building a new footpath and signs ahead of the main gates being reopened.
Only a limited section of the road within the park would be accessible to vehicles under this new layout, the city council said.
The work was expected to be completed by mid-July.
East Park's splash pad would not be open this summer after an inspection found "issues with the quality of the surface" which required a complete refurbishment, the council said.
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