National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Water Chute at Marine Lake, Rhyl
With its roller coaster and drenching monster-slide, this part of Marine Lake was strictly for adrenalin junkies
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Overview
The spectacular water chute at Rhyl’s Marine Lake must have been a spellbinding attraction when it was built in 1910, and here we re-experience its white-knuckle ride as the chute car descends the dizzying structure before splashing into the water beneath. The chute’s plunging drop is echoed in the massive, skeletal roller coaster to the left and the distant mountains beyond.
Marine Lake is a man-made reservoir to the west side of Rhyl. It was opened in 1895 and became a tourist destination with fairground rides, a narrow gauge railway etc. The water chute was built in 1910 and featured large flat bottomed boats that were raised to the top of the chute in a lift, each boat with an oarsman to steady it on hitting the water and row it back ashore. The chute only operated for a few years before a fatal accident in June 1914 forced its closure sometime during WW1. The filmmaker’s identity is unconfirmed.
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