During our visit to the Clacton Pavilion, we were also given tickets for The Official 150th Anniversary Wheel. This giant observation wheel opened this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Clacton-on-Sea. So after the children’s session in the Clacton Pavilion Water Park, we went for a ride on Clacton’s 150th Anniversary Wheel.
The Official 150th Anniversary Wheel
The new Clacton Pavilion Observatory Wheel is a 30-metre high structure. The wheel has 24 gondolas meaning 144 guests can ride the wheel at a time. Some of the gondolas have been adapted to offer wheelchair access making it inclusive for all.
A ride on the wheel costs £4.00 per person. We were given tickets that also gave us access to all the rides in the Clacton Pavilion Fun Park. These tickets will cost extra. The experience lasts for roughly six minutes giving you panoramic views of Clacton’s beautiful coastline.
Our Ride on Clacton’s Observation Wheel
We rode on Clacton’s 150th Anniversary Wheel in the morning at roughly 11.30 am. The ride opens at 11 am for the first riders. Luckily for Ethan, we were the second group in the queue. Meaning we were able to quickly board our gondolas. There was only one other group during our ride. In hindsight that was the best for Ethan as he can get very distressed when waiting to get off of rides like this. This meant there was no stop and start loading process. I did notice that they can load four gondolas at a time.
Both children did declare how high the wheel was. Thankfully this didn’t stop them from wanting to go for a spin on the wheel. They found the whole experience very exciting. Ethan said ‘you can see everything from here!’ on many occasions.
The wheel rotates quite slowly and we had three full turns of the wheel during our ride. The wheel also stops for boarding purposes. I was very grateful for this as the London Eye continuously moves. The times I have been on that I find myself practically running on at boarding.
I think The Official 150th Anniversary Wheel at Clacton Pavilion is a great addition to the seafront. Its boarding process and adapted gondolas will make it perfect for all family members to enjoy. We are sure Ethan will like to ride the wheel again and it will become another highlight for him during our Clacton-on-Sea visits. Darren has already said he wants to ride the wheel in the evening.
The below video shows our trip on the wheel. I think you can see that we enjoyed our ride.
DISCLOSURE – We received tickets for The Official 150th Anniversary Wheel as a gift. This was for the purposes of this post and to create our YouTube video. We always share our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences.
