A Salisbury company helped to create the world's first Jumanji-themed park.

Family business B&E Services Ltd was recruited by Merlin Entertainments to help build the park, which opened in 2023.

The Company transformed a former picnic area at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Greater London, taking only 18 months to complete.

Word of Jumanji marks the single largest investment in the theme park's history, containing three rides and other Jumanji-themed activities. 

Project Manager Wayne Lawrence said: "We are particularly proud of this job, and it was great to see the ride in action when all the hard work was over."

The Salisbury company helped build the world's first Jumanji-themed park (Image: Chessington World of Adventures) The main attraction at the park is Mandrill Mayhem, but with any monster rollercoaster, the park's first with inversion, there come challenges.

The ride mimics the Jumanji film series, sweeping riders up the arms of the Mandrill before flipping them upside down at 42 miles per hour. 

Riders then spiral to the summit of the 55-feet-tall Jaguar Shrine before falling and having to do it all again backwards.

According to B&E Services Ltd a total of 144 tons of steel track were used to build the rollercoaster, which is equivalent to 96 hippos.

To add to the difficulties the company faced, it had to be designed to withstand years of wear and tear; sustained weight and high levels of movement.

Speaking about the main challenges his company faced, Wayne said: "The challenge in figuring out when to add a chamfer, as we had to ensure we had enough time to do so after removing the shutters.

"It was definitely a learning curve!" 

To stop cracking in the rides' concrete bases the manufacturers wanted a chamfered edge, which helps to ensure water will run off and maintains durability.

Shutters were placed around the base plates to contain areas that needed grouting and were removed once the hand-poured product had initially set.

For more information on B&E Services Ltd, click here for their website.

For more about World of Jumanji, click here.