The Swingboats

Swing your sweetheart and impress your friends – see how high you can fly!

About The Swingboats

Swingboats used to be a common sight at small fairs around Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries, up until the desire for new and fast began to take hold after the second world war. Swingboats were so popular that they gave root to the phrase “the fair is in full swing” — but nowadays there are only a few working examples left.

We have two swingboats at the fair:

Park Swings – these are larger sized boats suitable for riders over 1.05m.

High Flyers – these are the junior sized version suitable for any age.

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Who can ride, and what does it cost?

You’ll need 1 new 2022 token per person to ride.

The Park Swings (adult swingboats suitable for riders over 1.05m tall)

The White Waltham High Flyers (children’s swingboats suitable for any age) Adults can ride with children if required.

Riders under 90cm can ride for free with a paying adult or older child on the High Flyers children’s swingboats.

A brief history of the swingboats

A swing for two, operated by the riders pulling ropes are really popular at Carters. The larger of the two sets, the Park Swings, was made by carriage builder Thomas of Chertsey and is a very fine example, with beautiful chamfered legs. Building them up is similar to raising a barn – and about as heavy! The original boats were sadly too far gone to save, but Joby Carter painted the replacements to be as close to the original decoration as possible.

We also have a smaller set for young children that is available to hire for children’s parties and events.

Find out more about swingboats – buy the book here.