Drone pictures show Britain's eroding coastline edging closer to the country's oldest theme park after devastating landslips

Published: 14:49, 6 April 2026 | Updated: 14:51, 6 April 2026 Drone images have shown the extent of landslips in recent months at Britain's oldest theme park as it opens for its 183rd year. Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight has lost around 350m of land to coastal erosion in the last 75 years, mostly caused by rain on its clay layers. The theme park, which first opened in 1843, has moved or removed famous attractions including the Cliffhanger to stop them falling into the sea. Thousands of holidaymakers travel to the amusement park on the island's southern coast each year but the land around it can be seen eroding quickly in the drone images and edging closer to the attractions. A drone pilot, who asked not to be named, said: 'I have seen many changes over the coastline of the south of the Isle of Wight over the years. 'But slightly more so since I have been flying drones, many of which are due to climate change and wetter winters we are experiencing, mixed in with dry summers.' The park sits near Alum Bay, known for its colourful sand cliffs and blue water. Landslips along the shoreline date back to the late 1700s with significant cliff falls in 1928, 1961 and 1994 - the extent of landslips since last summer is clear from drone images taken in February. Drone pictures showed cliffs on the Isle of Wight edging towards the country's oldest theme park Blackgang Chine has lost 350m of land in the last 75 years and now stands perilously close to the cliff edge The theme park has moved or removed some rides in recent years to stop them falling into the sea Blackgang Chine in summer 2025, before the most recent landslips Pictures from February showed the cliffs had eroded right up to the park's maze The edge of the cliff is pushed back by around 3.5m each year, with major landslips sacrificing more ground Blackgang Chine sits on the southern coast of the Isle of Wight (pictured) The cliff edge loses around 3.5m of land each year - a landslide in January 1994 saw homes, caravans and chalets evacuated and some attractions had to be moved inland. Alexander Dabell founded the park after realising the potential of the land, with its deep ravines by the sea, for Victorian holidaymakers. The land was originally a steep gaunt ravine, or chine - a steep-sided gorge where a river flows to the sea - but this was destroyed by landslides. In December Francis Richmond Dabell - the fourth generation to have owned the park - died aged 101. He was praised for navigating the soft land around the park to ensure its survival, having run the business since 1947. A spokesperson for the park said in February: 'We are always monitoring the land, and will take the appropriate action as and when it is needed - safety of the staff, guests, as well as preserving any attractions, are always our top priority.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.