The Story of Alton Towers, as a place of fun, thrills and magic, began when Charles, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, first flung open the gates of his amazing ancestral estate to an awe-struck public - as far back as the 1830s! As his monument in the gardens testifies, 'He Made the Desert Smile', and his great vision of a 'wonderland' with magnificent gardens and attractions such as the Chinese Pagoda Fountain and Swiss Cottage, saw Alton Towers as a themed park - 120 years before Disneyland! And all this set against an incredible Gothic mansion - worked upon by the great Augustine Pugin - and one of the most splendid in the world!

Crowds have flocked to this magical place ever since - to the great fairs, wakes and fireworks extravaganzas in the 1890s - through to the funfairs of the 1950s - and on to modern times, from the unveiling of The Corkscrew in 1980 through to the present.

We take a special look - and ride upon - the remarkable gravity-defying rides of today, such as Oblivion, Air, Nemesis and Rita Queen of Speed, with fascinating insights from those such as roller coaster guru John Wardley.

This is the story of Alton Towers today and yesterday. We take a privileged journey through images dating back to the 1870s - through film dating back to the 1920s and through the eyes of the present - to those who know and love Alton Towers today. Includes archive film of the Brian Collins fairground of the 1950s, BBC archive footage of the construction of the Corkscrew, as well as extensive cine shots of the amusement park as it developed through the years. This is supported by stills from the Alton Towers archive and private collections.

Produced in association with Alton Towers.