Victorian ‘Alton Towers’ rediscovered in Edinburgh

Project managers Cara Jones and Phil Richards on the dig at King George V Park in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Picture: Hemedia

A team of archaeologists have begun digging up a long-lost gym, described as the “Alton Towers” of Victorian Britain.

Experts at Archaeology Scotland are trying to uncover the secrets of the forgotten theme park which was used by thousands of factory workers to shed pounds.

The open air gym, known as the Royal Patent Gymnasium, was billed as “The New Wonder of Edinburgh” when it opened in King George V Park in 1865.

It was designed for the city’s factory workers and saw residents work out on sensational machines such as the patent rotary boat or “Great Sea Serpent”.

The open air gym, formerly known as the Royal Patent Gymnasium, was billed as "The New Wonder of Edinburgh" when it opened in 1865. Picture: National Library of Scotland/Hemedia

The massive contraption, which is just one of a dozen of attractions, was a circular platform which allowed up to 600 people to row simultaneously.

The park also featured avast number of vaulting and climbing poles, rotary ladders, stilts, spring-boards, quoits, balls, bowls, and little boats and canoes on ponds.

And in winter the grounds were prepared for ice skaters.

The archaeological teams have now begun fresh excavations in a bid to deepen their knowledge of the unique gym’s industrial past and its contribution to sport.

Project manager Phil Richardson, 39, said: “I cannot think of anything else like it - it’s more like Alton Towers than what we’d think of as a gym.

“People working in the factories came here for exercise and play. We think that once we’ve done a bit more digging that we’ll be able to find some personal stories from the time.