England's longest and fastest zip wire opens at Bluewater's Hangloose Adventure

by Chris Hunter

chunter@thekmgroup.co.uk

England's longest and fastest zip wire has opened at Bluewater.

The 60mph Skywire is the first of nine new attractions at the Hangloose Adventure centre.

England's longest and faster zip wire

The structure consists of four new 725-metre zip lines which run from a 40-metre chalk cliff and drop into the shopping centre's grounds.

Hangloose Adventure will also include an outdoor skydive experience, Europe’s largest swing and Europe’s largest outdoor climbing wall, and the opening was described as a "landmark day" by senior centre director Robert Goodman.

He added: "The addition of a new visitor attraction for the south east of England, accessible to millions of people within an hour’s drive, is a proud moment for everyone involved.

"Already, we have had huge interest in Skywire not just locally, but from across the UK and overseas. To operate England’s fastest and longest zip wire is a huge draw, and to have Hangloose as our partners, given the huge success of their operation at the Eden Project, is a significant scoop for us.

"From forward bookings already taken, we know that thrill-seekers will travel great lengths to ride on the zip wire and we’re sure our regular guests will equally be dazzled by the attraction and the spectacular view of our parkland as they fly through the air at up to 60 miles per hour."

Mr Goodman hoped the new adventure centre will combine with the shopping experience offered by Bluewater to make the shopping centre a "must-visit, day-out destination" for people around the UK and even France.

Riders on Skywire fly at speeds of up to 60mph as they drop from a 40m cliff

Three more Hangloose Adventure - Bluewater experiences are set to launch over the next 12 months.

This includes Europe’s largest rock climbing wall opening at the end of the year, followed by a 45-metre high giant swing, and by early 2022 the destination will be home to Skydive, a free-fall experience not found anywhere else in Europe.

These will be followed by five more experiences: a bungee tower, giant slide, clip and climb, waterdrop boulding wall, and Via Ferrata, a route-marked climb using metal rails and rungs embedded in Bluewater’s cliff walls.