The UK Theme Park Awards 2026 were held at Blackpool's Pleasure Beach Resort, drawing over 200 industry professionals for one of the most prestigious events on the UK attractions calendar, with the ceremony live streamed to thousands more watching online. But when the winners were announced, two of the biggest names on the list happened to be sitting right on Bournemouth's doorstep. Paultons Park, just a 35-minute drive up the A31, and Blackgang Chine, a short ferry hop away on the Isle of Wight, both had a night to remember — and between them they picked up more than a dozen awards, medals and personal accolades. If you're staying in Bournemouth this year, it turns out two of the country's most celebrated theme parks are closer than you might think.
Paultons Park: the most decorated park of the night
Home to Peppa Pig World, Paultons Park didn't just win an award at the 2026 ceremony — it dominated the entire evening, taking home more wins than any other park in the country.
The headline result was the big one: Paultons Park was named Theme Park of the Year in the over-1-million-visitors category, the night's top overall prize. From there, the wins kept coming. The park picked up Gold for Best Theme Park for Families and Gold for Best Theme Park for Toddlers, the latter specifically recognising Peppa Pig World as the best toddler offering among the UK's larger parks. Its new coaster, Drakon, also took Gold for Best New Attraction in the large-park category, proving the investment in new rides is paying off.
The recognition didn't stop at the rides. Paultons Park won Gold for Best Christmas Event for its "A Celebration of Christmas", Gold for Best Customer Service, and Gold for Best Marketing Campaign and Best Social Media Content (large-park category), both built around its Valgard campaign — which also picked up Silver for Best New Entertainment with "A Celebration of Valgard". The park's grounds earned a Silver for Best Landscaped Theme Park, just behind Alton Towers Resort. And on a personal note, Paultons Park's Lawrence Mancey was named Theme Park Personality of the Year, capping off a genuinely outstanding night for the Hampshire park.
Paultons Park's full haul:
- Theme Park of the Year (over 1m visitors) — WINNER
- Best New Attraction, Large — GOLD (Drakon)
- Best Theme Park for Families, Large — GOLD
- Best Theme Park for Toddlers, Large — GOLD (Peppa Pig World)
- Best Christmas Event, Large — GOLD (A Celebration of Christmas)
- Best New Entertainment — SILVER (A Celebration of Valgard)
- Best Landscaped Theme Park — SILVER
- Best Customer Service — GOLD
- Best Marketing Campaign — GOLD (Valgard)
- Best Social Media Content, Large — GOLD
- Theme Park Personality of the Year — WINNER (Lawrence Mancey)
Blackgang Chine: the Isle of Wight's clifftop icon holds its own
A short ferry crossing from the mainland, Blackgang Chine is one of Britain's oldest amusement parks and its dramatic clifftop gardens, fossil trails and dinosaur-themed rides earned it three well-deserved medals at this year's awards.
The park took Bronze for Best Seaside Park in the southern category, recognising it alongside the likes of Adventure Island and Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach as one of the best coastal days out in the south of England. Its famously lush, terraced grounds — carved into the cliffs above the English Channel — also earned Bronze for Best Landscaped Theme Park, a category otherwise dominated by Alton Towers and Paultons Park. Rounding things off, Blackgang Chine picked up Bronze for Best Social Media Content in the small-park category.
Blackgang Chine's full haul:
- Best Seaside Park, South — BRONZE
- Best Landscaped Theme Park — BRONZE
- Best Social Media Content, Small — BRONZE
Two award-winning days out, right on Bournemouth's doorstep
The best part for anyone based in Bournemouth? Both parks are an easy day trip away.
Paultons Park is around 27 miles from Bournemouth, about 45 minutes by car via the A338 through Ringwood and the New Forest, joining the A31 and M27 at junction 2. It's an easy there-and-back trip, or a great addition to a longer stay in the New Forest.
Blackgang Chine takes a little more planning, but it's part of the fun. Hop in the car and head to Lymington, just along the coast from Bournemouth, and take the Wightlink ferry across to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. From there, it's roughly a 30–40 minute drive south to Blackgang Chine at Chale, on the island's dramatic southern coastline — easily combined with a wider day exploring the Isle of Wight.
With two of the UK Theme Park Awards' big winners for 2026 sitting so close to home, there's never been a better excuse to turn a Bournemouth stay into a theme park adventure.