UK theme park abandoned after being forced to close forever after 38 years

UK theme park abandoned after being forced to close forever after 38 years The theme park was loved by families and thrill seekers alike for nearly four decades, but its closure last year has allowed nature to reclaim the rides The closure of a British theme park last year has allowed vegetation to creep back in and reclaim the rides. Oakwood Theme Park delighted thousands of visitors every year from its opening on April 14, 1987, until March 2025 when it was announced the long-established Pembrokeshire theme park would be shutting its gates permanently. Bosses said the closure was due to "unrelenting economic challenges". Now, it looks like some of the rides could be saved by a new investor - but as work is yet to get going in earnest, nature has started to reclaim the park as vegetation grows all over the attraction, reports Wales Online. Opening nearly four decades ago, the venue featured a narrow-gauge railway transporting guests from the car park to the modest attractions within, which included go-karting, water slides and a bobsleigh. Matters escalated during the 1990s when they unveiled the legendary rollercoaster Megafobia, built at an expense of approximately £1.7million. Before long it was joined by a succession of other, considerably larger, more daring attractions for genuine adrenaline junkies drawing guests from right across the UK. In 2006, Oakwood Theme Park witnessed the arrival of Speed: No Limits, a rollercoaster which at the time held the title of the steepest in the entire UK. This was subsequently acquired and moved to an amusement park in Agen, France, called Walygator Sud-Ouest, after the park's closure. Despite more than a year passing since its sudden closure, some of these attractions still stand in fragments or have yet to be demolished. Other rides, though, were granted a second chance, including Drenched, Treetops, the Pirate Ship, and the hugely popular Snake River Falls. During its heyday, the park attracted thousands of visitors to the location, which now lies dormant awaiting redevelopment while remaining under the control of Aspro Parks, a Spanish leisure conglomerate. This same organisation owns 68 additional parks throughout Europe, suggesting this Welsh site may not be amongst its highest priorities. Aspro acquired the park from the McNarma family in 2008, who established it during the 1980s as a means of diversifying their land holdings. The family enterprise subsequently flourished into a thriving operation until it became financially unviable. Aspro issued a statement saying: "In the entire history of Aspro we have never closed any park or attraction. We, and our dedicated team of staff has 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." Throughout the years, how families seek entertainment has evolved, possibly driven by advancing technology and the growing ease of accessing leisure activities without leaving home. Consequently, theme parks are experiencing declining visitor numbers, which could lead to further closures of such attractions in the coming years. Di Clements, county councillor for Pembrokeshire's Martletwy ward, the area where the theme park was located, weighed in on the subject. He said: "Locally there has been little discussion and comment about the future of the old Oakwood site. "No plans have been made public or any that I am aware of. Other local attractions have, over the years, become popular with visitors and locals alike, so Oakwood's closure didn't really have that much of an impact locally, and it had been in steady decline anyway. "Whilst some of the old rides have been removed, there are still a number of structures prominent to the skyline. Ideally, if there are no future plans for the site as a theme park, these should be removed. It's not particularly attractive to have rusting and rotting structures visible in such a beautiful area." The councillor suggested that what would benefit the region would be an "all-weather attraction" for Pembrokeshire. Meanwhile, many are speculating that the site could be redeveloped to extend Bluestone National Park Resort, a holiday destination also situated in the same South West county.