Diggerland is celebrating 25 years since opening at Medway Valley Leisure Park in Strood
One of Kent’s quirkiest attractions is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Diggerland, in Strood, started as a way for families to get up close to construction machinery and has grown into the country’s leading digger-themed amusement park with four locations across the nation.
The idea was born almost 30 years ago when the chairman of H E Services (Plant Hire) Ltd, Hugh Edeleanu, realised that children were fascinated by the construction and digging machinery that his company supplied.
After noticing that children often begged to sit in the digger cabs and pretended to press the buttons and pull the levers, Hugh decided he would take things one step further with his next venture.
Opening at the Medway Valley Leisure Park in April of 2000, Diggerland’s selection of unique and innovative attractions brought in more than 20,000 visitors in its first year.
The site has grown over the years to include several rides, including the Dig-a-Round carousel, the Spindizzy and the Skyshuttle, as well as activities such as driving a dumper or digger.
The attractions are powered by a fleet of authentic construction machinery from world-renowned manufacturers, including Komatsu and JCB, with each park boasting around 100 machines.
One year after its Kent launch, the owners of Diggerland opened parks in Durham and Devon in the spring of 2001.
Diggerland Yorkshire, in Castleford, opened in 2007 and, in 2014, the company’s first American site opened in New Jersey with a waterpark added to the stateside park in 2021.
In 2005, Diggerland also opened a temporary park in Dubai for a year.
Over the past quarter of a century, the location in Strood has also introduced its own on-site restaurant, serving burgers, hot dogs, paninis and baguettes, and a gift shop.
Tickets to the park cost £25.95 for adults when booked in advance here or £38 on the day. Children under 100cm go free.
Visitors can also upgrade their visit by paying an extra £1 to have a go on the dodgems and quad bikes.
The park is open daily during school holidays from 10am to 5pm. During term time, the park is only open on weekends.
