Diggerland
Diggerland
Theme parks inspired by diggers and JCBs
Diggerland is the name of theme parks inspired by diggers and JCBs. There are four theme parks in England, and one in the United States. Diggerland is part of the H.E Services Group and Allsafety Limited.
Diggerland UK logo | |
| Location | England Castleford, West Yorkshire Cullompton, Devon Langley Park, County Durham Strood, Kent United States West Berlin, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Opened | April 2000 |
| Owner | Hugh Edeleanu (Founder) |
| Slogan | "Buckets of Fun for Everyone" |
| Operating season | February–October |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 20 |
| Website | www.diggerland.com www.diggerlandusa.com |
There are four Diggerland theme parks in the United Kingdom located in Strood in Kent (opened in 2000), Langley Park in County Durham (opened in 2001), Cullompton in Devon (opened in 2001, closed in 2020, and reopened in 2022) and Castleford in West Yorkshire (opened in 2007). In 2015 it was announced that Diggerland would open their fifth UK park in Evesham, Worcestershire,[1][2][3] but this was delayed indefinitely in 2017.[4]
Diggerland had a temporary park in Dubai during the summer of 2005. Their 2006 plan to expand to Richmond, Virginia in the United States was stalled out by the Great Recession.[5]
Diggerland expanded into the United States and opened a park in West Berlin, New Jersey in 2014.[6][7]
| England | Devon | Verbeer Manor | EX15 2PE | 50.877°N 3.379°W / 50.877; -3.379 |
| Durham | Langley Park | DH7 9TT | 54.802°N 1.675°W / 54.802; -1.675 | |
| Kent | Medway Valley Leisure Park | ME2 2NU | 51.382°N 0.477°E / 51.382; 0.477 | |
| Yorkshire | Willowbridge Lane | WF10 5NW | 53.718°N 1.385°W / 53.718; -1.385 | |
| USA | New Jersey | West Berlin | 08091 | 39.813°N 74.923°W / 39.813; -74.923 |
Racing events happen between March and October, because they need to be completed in daylight hours. Dumper Racing is held on a monthly basis.
Diggerland also has a team, The Dancing Diggers, which operates every other year and features large diggers doing stunts. In 2017, they performed at several county fairs, including the Royal Bath and West Country Show.
- "Diggerland on the way to Evesham". Evesham Observer. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- Chris Price (15 April 2014). "Diggerland USA in West Berlin, New Jersey, set to open in May as owner Hugh Edeleanu continues expansion plan 14 years after first opening in Strood". Kent Business. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- "Digger Man does Diggerland". Earthmovers Magazine. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- Godfey, Joshua (12 April 2017). "Theme park bosses no longer dig Evesham as plans for Diggerland withdrawn". Evesham Obserever. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- U.K. Rental Company Finds Success With 'Diggerland', Construction Equipment Guide. "An earlier expansion move into the United States – specifically to 295 acres purchased in 2006 in the Richmond, Va., area – as well as into Dubai, United Arab Emirates, stalled after the international financial crisis exploded three years ago. "
- Brady MacDonald (5 June 2014). "Diggerland amusement park lets kids operate construction equipment". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- Marcia Gruver Doyle (13 January 2014). "Diggerland, a construction equipment theme park, is coming to New Jersey (VIDEO)". Equipment World. Retrieved 28 September 2014.