10 Best Zip Wires In The UK (Longest, Fastest, & Most Scenic)

Coming up: zip lines, cliffs, coastlines, bridges, Battersea, 3 different apes, a big London park, more quarries than you’re probably expecting, and the 10 best zip wires in the UK.

I was born and raised in the UK

… and because of that, we’ve already covered loads about the place here at Travelness.

Including:

But: in this guide, we’ve brought you the 10 best zip wires in the UK.

So… where can you find them? How fast are they? Which are best for families? Which are located next to other fun? And is it true that the UK is home to the world’s speediest zip line?

Coming up, all that and more!

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1. Velocity (North Wales)

Best for: zooming super fast

Fun Fact: This is the fastest zip wire in the world—and the longest in the UK

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Reaching speeds of up to (and sometimes over!) 100mph (160kmh), this zip wire is outrageously fast. Because it’s so speedy, you lie down in the harness (instead of standard sitting—expect more of that in this guide).

It’s inside Zip World Penrhyn Quarry, in North Wales

… so it’s close to both Bangor and Llandudno, and it’s easy to reach from both places—and other on-site adventures include kart rides, quarry tours, and a smaller zip wire.

Once one of the world’s largest slate quarries, Penrhyn Quarry is home to mountain views, a lake, lots of slate and stone, and even wild sheep and goats.

Velocity measures a total of almost 1 mile (1.6km), and it serves up views of Snowdonia (the highest mountain in Wales)

2. NE1 Tyne Bridge Sky Zipwire (Newcastle)

Best for: summer fun in Newcastle

Fun Fact: This zooms off from one of the UK’s most iconic bridges

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As you might have guessed from its name, NE1 Tyne Bridge Sky Zipwire sets off from Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge

You get to the bridge in a crane lift, then zoom down to Gateshead (and all the way to the other side of the Tyne River), at speeds of up to 30mph (48kmh). I’ve never done it, but because I’m from Newcastle, many of my friends have. And all of them loved it.

Note: this is only a summer zip wire. It usually only operates in August—and only on selected dates.

For much more on Newcastle, glide on over to our guides on:

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… and here’s everything you need to know about the unique and unusual Newcastle accent.

3. Zip World Tower (South Wales)

Best for: anyone in Swansea, Cardiff, or Newport

Fun Fact: This is the world’s fastest seated zip wire

Sitting just south of the Brecon Beacons, this is one of the most-visited zip wires in Wales (cos it’s less than an hour drive from the populated trio of Swansea, Cardiff, and Newport).

Reaching speeds of up to 70mph (112kph), it’s home to two separate lines, and it’s located inside a former colliery. Other on-site highlights include a rollercoaster, local eats and treats at the rustic on-site cafe, and the UK’s largest high ropes course (with three storeys of fun!).

If you want some big fat slices of heavy adrenaline, I massively recommend this one

• Address: Zip World Tower, Treherbert Road, Hirwaun, Aberdare, CF44 9UF
• Official website

4. Go Ape (Battersea Park, London)

Best for: outdoor zip wire fun right in the center of London

Fun Fact: This place features over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) of trees, challenges, and wires

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Go Ape is an outdoor adventure company, offering courses and zip wires across the UK and the US.

Most of them are rural. But, uniquely, this one sits right in the heart of London

It sits in Battersea Park, which directly borders the city’s iconic Thames River.

In Battersea Park’s version of Go Ape, you’ll find wobbly bridges, high ropes, strange platforms, treetop crossings, a forest playground, and tasks and challenges that feel like they were plucked from Takeshi’s Castle. Some of the platforms sit at more than 13 meters (42 feet) above the ground—around twice as tall as most Go Ape sites

The on-site fun includes 2 zip wires—and the biggest of them measures in at a length of 70 metres (230 feet).

You can easily access Battersea Park’s Go Ape by public transport—convenient! And because the park is also home to playgrounds, a boating lake, cafes, mini-golf, bike rentals, and a children’s zoo, you can transform this Go Ape visit into a full day of family fun.

For more excitement and adventure in England’s capital, here are the top 10 best cycling routes in London

5. Go Ape Aberfoyle (Central Scotland)

Best for: people in Edinburgh and Glasgow

Fun Fact: On one of the zip wires here, you fly over a big waterfall

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Only around 1 hour from Glasgow and 1.5 hours from Edinburgh, this is our second Go Ape entry (of 3 Go Ape entries in total).

… and if you live in most of urban Scotland, it’s your best zip wire option.

Go Ape Aberfoyle is home to two of the UK’s lengthiest zip wires:

• One measures in at 323 metres (1,060 feet)
• And the other measures in at 426 meters (1,398 feet)

Other on-site fun includes a 2.5-hour high-ropes course, 46 treetop crossings, rope ladders, wobbling beams, Tarzan swings, cargo nets, and an axe-throwing experience. Overall, it’s a great day of family fun.

For more on Glasgow, here are:

For more on Edinburgh, here are:

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… and here’s our ultimate 2 days in Edinburgh itinerary!

• Address: Go Ape Aberfoyle, The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle, Stirling, FK8 3SX
• Official website

6. Go Ape Matfen (Northumberland)

Best for: people in far-northern England

Fun Fact: This place sits within the grounds of a country house hotel

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Another Go Ape entry!

Admittedly, this isn’t the most exciting option—but if you’re looking for wholesome family fun, it’s one of our best

Go Ape Matfen sits inside Matfen Hall, a grand 19th-century Northumberland country estate. The place hosts weddings, afternoon teas, occasional events, and… as you’ve probably worked out for yourself… a big high ropes course.

This high ropes course is home to wobbling bridges, Tarzan swings, cargo nets, rope ladders, and many high platforms (the loftiest of them sitting at 11 meters/36 feet).

There are 5 different zip wires here—and the biggest of them measures in at a length of 162 meters (531 feet).

For much more on Northumberland (where I’ve spent long chunks of my life), here are:

… and here are the 20 most beautiful places in Northumberland.

7. Hangloose (at the Eden Project, Cornwall)

Best for: combining your zip wire ride with some surprising jungle fun

Fun Fact: This is England’s fastest zip wire

Cornwall’s Eden Project is super unique and unusual.

Built in a former clay pit, the massive indoor biomes here recreate rainforest and Mediterranean climates. Sort of like a living science experiment, the place features lush jungles, sunny olive groves, art installations, seasonal events, and even occasional concerts.

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As a nice bonus, the zip wire here is the fastest in England. It has a length of 660 meters (2,165 feet), you ride it in a Superman-style lying-down position, and it reaches speeds of up to 60mph (96kph). You fly over the iconic biomes and the hills and fields surrounding them.

The zip wire sits inside the bigger adrenaline-pumping Hangloose complex—also home to a climbing experience, an outdoor swing, a high ropes course, and a big lofty 8-meter/26-feet tower for you and your kids to jump off (and land onto an airbag).

Best for: zooming past iconic cliffs—and combining your wire with some wellness

Fun Fact: This is England’s longest zip wire

Another Hangloose location, another zip wire!

Measuring in at a hefty length of 720 meters (2,360 feet), this one takes you past chalk cliffs and over lakes—and it’s another lying-down zip wire. You soar over a former chalk quarry, and reach speeds of up to 50mph (80kph).

Other on-site fun includes a high ropes course, a giant swing (the tallest in Europe, and the height of a 22-storey building!), an outdoor skydiving machine, a massive inflatable water park, cold water swimming (right inside the quarry’s lake—you might want a wetsuit!), and a sauna and cold plunge.

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Surrounding the zip wire (and everything else we’ve just described), there’s loads more fun. And that fun includes:

• A 17-screen cinema
• An ice-skating rink
• A lakeside family-friendly nature trail
• The Pirate Cove Adventure Golf minigolf course

The complex is also home to the huge Bluewater Shopping Center, with over 300 stores and stalls, and more than 50 places to eat and drink. It’s one of the biggest shopping centers in the UK

9. PierZip (Bournemouth)

Best for: beachside fun when you’re done

Fun Fact: This is the world’s first pier-to-shore zip wire

One of the most unusual entries on our list, PierZip—as you might have guessed from its name!—launches out of a pier

That pier is in Bournemouth, on England’s south coast. You fly from a tower, 25 meters (82 feet) above the sea, then land on the beach. The total ride measures in at 250 meters (820 feet).

Part of the bigger RockReef complex, the place is also home to climbing walls, a high ropes course, a near-vertical slide, and some mini fake caves for kids to clamber around in.

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… and as a nice bonus: when you’re done at PierZip, you’re already in one of England’s most popular seaside towns—brimming with beaches, amusement arcades, ice cream stalls, fish-and-chip shops, and the classic promenade atmosphere. Highly recommended!

10. The Zip (at Adrenalin Quarry, Cornwall)

Best for: combining your zip wire ride with endless other fun

Fun Fact: This one takes you across a flooded quarry

Cornwall’s incorrectly-spelled ‘Adrenalin Quarry’ is a massive complex, home to axe throwing, a giant swing (sitting at 45 meters/150 feet), cliff-climbing, high-jumping, and an inflatable aquapark.

… and most notably, the complex is also home to Kartworld, an outdoor go-karting venue with an 800-meter (half-mile) track

Its zip wire (appropriately named ‘The Zip’) has a length of 490 metres (1,607 feet). It launches you off a cliff, and over a lake—and hits high speeds up to 40mph (64kmh).

With its big lake, little cliffs, and Cornwall weather, the place has a sort-of tropical vibe. Add that to the speed, the height, and all the other activities, and this is one of the most dramatic and exciting zip wires in the UK.

Oh, and as a nice bonus: because it sits beside Menheniot railway station, Adrenalin Quarry is easy to access by public transport. Convenient!

Before You Go

And that’s us done—they’re the 10 best zip wires in the UK!

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To sum up, our three favorites are:

• Velocity North Wales: to ride the fastest zip wire in the world
• Hangloose (at the Eden Project): for flying over some rainforest biomes
• Go Ape Battersea Park: if you’re in London and want something easy to access

For more family-friendly fun in the UK, here are:

Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and we’ll see you again soon. Enjoy zipwiring around the UK!