Latest news with #OakwoodThemePark
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How ambitious resident plans to reopen abandoned UK theme park and turn it into a tourist hotspot
An ambitious Welsh resident has vowed to revive an abandoned theme park and transform it into a 'booming' tourist hub. The anonymous local is determined to re-open Oakwood Theme Park, based in the heart of Pembrokeshire. Spread across 90 acres of countryside, the park first opened in April 1987, and went on to become a hugely popular and successful attraction in Wales, reaching its peak with over 400,000 visitors annually. Spread across 90 acres of countryside, the park was known for its variety of family-friendly options, along with thrill rides such as Vertigo, Bounce, and Dizzy Disk. It was also home to key attractions such as Speed, the fastest ride in Wales, and Megafobia, a world-renowned wooden roller coaster often ranked among the best in Europe and the UK. However, after 40 years of providing fun for children and families, Oakwood announced the news of its sudden closure on March 4 - leaving locals devastated. A statement released on the park's website earlier this year confirmed it would not open for the 2025 season, despite receiving a multi-million pound investment over the years from its owner, Aspro Parks. The park added: 'Aspro Parks has invested over £25M since rescuing the park from being at risk of closure in 2008. 'Most recently a major refurbishment of Megafobia, the iconic wooden rollercoaster was completed to great success and acclaim from enthusiasts and fans of the park. 'Despite the ongoing investment visitor numbers have declined, the financial performance of the park has suffered, making further investment unsustainable.' 'All possible avenues have been explored to avoid the closure, and we fully recognise the impact of the closure on the local community and the loss that will be felt as a result.' Though Oakwood's owner, Astro Parks, operates 68 other attractions across Europe, its Pembrokeshire location has left residents especially disheartened. But one local hero has now made a commitment to re-open the beloved theme park. Speaking to Wales Online, the anonymous resident said: 'I grew up in west Wales. I remember every queue, every hill climb, every first drop. 'Oakwood wasn't just a theme park - it was a rite of passage for kids in this country. You didn't just go there. You remembered it.' The resident has since set up an organisation called Richens Leisure Projects (RLP), which has set out a proposal to revive Oakwood and boost employment with an estimate of over 100 seasonal job opportunities in the Pembrokeshire area. RLP said is has developed a phased capital investment plan to restore infrastructure and 're-establish Oakwood as a national leisure destination.' The organisation has contacted the current owner of the park with its proposal but no formal response has yet been received, according to Wales Online. The resident added: 'This isn't about nostalgia - it's about rebuilding pride. 'It's about giving today's kids the same memories we had, only with something stronger behind it: community ownership and a long-term plan.'
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Devon theme park announces sudden closure less than two months after opening
An indoor theme park in Devon has suddenly closed its doors less than two months after opening. Dingles Fun Park in Lifton opened in February on the site of the now-closed Dingles Fairground Museum. 'We are very sorry to announce, due to unforeseen circumstances Dingles Fun Park is now closed,' reads a statement on its website. 'The Pop Fest tribute festival will also be cancelled due to the park closure. All festival tickets will be refunded via ticket sailor [sic]. 'We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused.' Park manager Tom Ellis said despite 'incredible support from locals', the 'vast scale' of the site meant the cost of renting the site was simply more than the park could afford. 'We hoped to bring in more attractions as planned, however we just couldn't quite obtain a long-term lease to suit us and the landlords,' he said. The previous vintage fairground museum was also forced to close in 2024 as a result of losses incurred following the pandemic and its rural remote location. While the museum predominantly featured historic rides from the early 20th-century, the amusement park focused on more contemporary offerings, including dodgems, a waltzer and a fun house. The Independent has contacted Dingles Fun Park for further comment. The news comes just weeks after one of the UK's largest theme parks announced its immediate closur e after nearly 40 years. Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, shuttered in March citing financial challenges caused by rising costs and declining visitor numbers. The firm said it has invested more than £25 million since the park was saved from closure in 2008. A spokesperson for Aspro Parks Group – the owner of Oakwood, and operator of dozens of other attractions, including Cheshire's Blue Planet Aquarium – said: 'In the entire history of Aspro we have never closed any park or attraction. 'We, and our dedicated team of staff, have strived to overcome numerous challenges to continue to bring joy to families and visitors across the region and country. Unfortunately, we could no longer see a sustainable way forward and will seek to improve our other parks using the assets and where possible team elsewhere'. 'We are aware that Oakwood has been a much-loved destination for generations and a rite of passage for many young visitors. It is for this reason we feel such a sense of sadness. 'We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedication and commitment of our team members past and present, suppliers and contractors who have loyally supported us and of course all those that have visited Oakwood Theme Park over the years. We are sincerely grateful.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rollercoaster ups and downs of closed theme park adored by generations
They say life can be like a rollercoaster, but for Richard Drummond and his family, it is a ride that has lasted for three generations. Richard, his dad and his two sons have all worked at Oakwood Theme Park, in Pembrokeshire, over the last 30 years. But on Tuesday, Wales' largest theme park announced it was shutting down with immediate effect due to a drop in visitor numbers. It has left Richard, and thrill-seekers around the world, wondering what comes next for the once-great attraction. More Welsh attractions 'at risk' as Oakwood shuts Wales' largest theme park shuts down after 40 years Watch: A ride on Oakwood's main attraction Richard, 48, from Pembroke Dock, joined Oakwood in 1995 at a time when they employed about 400 seasonal staff each year. "I was 18 or 19 and met lots of people from all over. You met all these people that you had never met before," he said. The park, which opened in 1987, was originally owned by William McNamara - a Pembrokeshire farmer diversifying into the leisure industry. "You would see the directors walking around the park. Their kids worked there as well. The owners were willing to get their hands dirty," Richard added. Richard witnessed the birth of the world-renowned rollercoaster Megafobia in 1996. "I could see this structure slowly going in and I was thinking, I know that's going to be pretty impressive when it's finished," he said. "A lot of us that worked there were the first people to go on it." Mr McNamara went on to create the neighbouring Bluestone holiday resort and sold Oakwood to Spanish leisure giant Aspro in 2008. Richard believes they "underestimated" the task at hand. "It costs a lot of money to replace parts, especially because most of them come from Europe," he said. In 2009 Astro decided to halve the number of full-time employees and Richard was let go after 14 years at Oakwood. Richard's dad, who has worked at the site over the last couple of years, said he believed the park was in decline. "He would tell me we only had so many people in today, or they had to close this ride because they didn't have enough staff," Richard said. Due to a drop in visitor numbers, Oakwood Theme Park owners Aspro Park said "future investment" was "unsustainable" for the attraction. The company added "all possible avenues" had been explored to avoid the closure, and that "unrelenting economic challenges" from electricity costs, ride parts and food and drink inflation, as well as changes to National Insurance thresholds affected the decision. The park's closure has left Richard feeling "emotional", but he plans to have a staff reunion this summer to share the good times they had at the attraction. Justin Garvanovic, founder of the European Coaster Club, remembers the first whispers about a wooden coaster coming to Wales. "I bumped into William McNamara in Blackpool looking at the big dip of a wooden coaster there. I put two and two together immediately," he said. "We would go down every two weeks to see William, and his brother Paddy, to see the ride being built." Justin and his fellow club members loved it so much they decided to host an annual trip at Oakwood - known as the Mega Welsh Weekender. The European Coaster Club celebrated their 25th trip to Oakwood last year as part of their annual get together. A new venue will have be found for the annual pilgrimage, but Justin admitted it will be hard to replace the "special and unique" Oakwood setting. Justin said he "sadly" saw the closure coming after what he described as the park's decline in recent years. "It's a fantastic park, but if you talk to people in England, they don't know it exists," he said. The world has lost "one of the world's best wooden coasters" in Megafobia, according to Justin. He said Pembrokeshire is a "wonderful part of the world", but added Oakwood has been asking the same question for decades. "How do you get all these people to know that this treasure is there?" Korey Kieptfer, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a rollercoaster designer and engineer who was involved in the refurbishment of Megafobia three years ago. The 50-year-old adores theme parks and even commemorated his wedding day with a rollercoaster ride. "Megafobia is special," he said. "We really felt like we improved it and brought it back to life." It has been a "whirlwind of emotions" for Korey hearing about the park's closure. "Oakwood is magical. It's got a lot of nice trees and it's just out in the open. All of that just adds to the experience," he said. Korey said the park's closure is a result of a "perfect storm" as costs increase both for the park and its visitors. "If you want to go to Oakwood from the big cities, you have to decide that you're going to take that four-hour drive or the train," he said. He added he would "love it" if a new theme park was able to take on some of the rides at Oakwood, including Megafobia. "If I had a million dollars, I would love to just take it and have it as my very own," he said. Nick Hutson is a British composer known for his work in the theme park industry. The 40-year-old has provided music for firework shows, Halloween events and even parties at Oakwood in the past. "It gave some most beautiful views with the sun setting behind Megafobia," he said. "It was a joy to do music for them, and I will miss working for them a lot." Nick's role allowed him to combine his passions as a "self-confessed theme park fan" as well as a musician. He recalls hosting an after-dark event that had a "festival vibe" at the park. "I put together a techno party track," he said. "They had live singers, a paint party and fireworks. It was my favourite time to be at the park." There are concerns among smaller theme park owners in the UK that the industry is struggling. Businesses face extra pressure because of rises to National Insurance payments and wages which could lead to job cuts. Meanwhile energy prices remain high for amusement parks that consume a substantial amount of electricity. The owners of one of the UK's oldest theme parks, Wicksteed Park, in Northamptonshire, has previously said it would struggle to survive without extra funding. Meanwhile Miles Kenchington, mayor of Helston, in Cornwall, said it was "a worrying time" for tourism after the closure last year of a Cornish theme park which opened 48 years ago. Attention now turns to the impact on the local economy and the people employed by Oakwood. They will hope this is not the first domino to fall in a part of the country that relies on a strong tourism sector. A Welsh government spokesperson said it wanted to "work closely" with the Welsh tourism sector to help address the challenges businesses face. "Tourism makes an important contribution to the Welsh economy and to Welsh life," it added. Cornish theme park closes after 48 years Peninsula theme park company ordered to close down Seafront amusement park closes after 20 years
