Oakwood Theme Park

Oakwood Theme Park (formerly Oakwood Leisure Park, Oakwood Coaster Country and Oakwood Park) was an amusement park located in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Oakwood Theme Park opened on 14 April 1987 as a small family-owned park with minimal attractions. The park later began to incorporate larger thrill rides, including Megafobia, which has been praised by coaster enthusiasts, Vertigo, Drenched (originally Hydro), and Speed: No Limits, which opened as the steepest coaster in the United Kingdom. On 4 March 2025, it was announced that the park would permanently cease operations after four decades, citing "challenges presented by the current business environment", and a decline in financial performance "making further investment unsustainable". History Until March 2008, Oakwood Leisure Ltd. was owned and developed by the McNamara family, Pembrokeshire farmland owners who diversified into the leisure industry in 1987 after the introduction of milk quotas. The park took twelve months to research. A 15 in (381 mm) gauge narrow-gauge railway opened at the park in 1987, providing a transport link between the amusement park and the car park. The park also included BMX courses, a wooden play fort, a 3D cinema show, and go-karts. Following an increase in visitor numbers after the installation of the Snake River Falls water slide in 1994, management decided to pursue the development of the park into a more thrilling park. In 1996, the park installed a wooden roller coaster built by Custom Coasters International at a cost of £1.7 million. The coaster, Megafobia, boosted the park's attendance to 500,000 visitors in one season for the first time in the park's history. In 1996, Oakwood also began an annual After Dark event, with late-night opening, fireworks, entertainment, and discounted evening entry. Several major additions would follow in the coming years. In 1997, the park purchased Vertigo, a Skycoaster. Bounce, a drop tower, opened in 1999. Hydro (later Drenched), a shoot the chute, was installed in 2002, followed by Speed: No Limits, a steel roller coaster, in 2006. The only themed area in the park began as the wild west-themed "Jake's Town". In 2000, the area was rethemed as "New Orleans" with the opening of a new dark ride, Voodoo Mansion. Several of the other rides in the section were rethemed to match the new theme during this time as well. The park was sold to Aspro Parks of Spain in March 2008. The New Orleans area was reverted to a wild west theme in 2012. Later that year, the park announced that it was entering a five-year investment plan, beginning with the redevelopment of the Kidz World section into Neverland for the 2013 season. This redevelopment was completed, and opened to the public on 23 May 2013. A second themed children's area, "Circus Land", was also introduced in 2013. A themed soundtrack was introduced in 2018, produced by Nick Hutson, including songs for the park itself, the After Dark event, and Megafobia. On 4 March 2025, it was announced that Oakwood Theme Park would permanently cease operations. Dismantling and removal of the rides and attractions commenced soon afterward. Speed: No Limits was purchased and relocated to the amusement park Walygator Sud-Ouest in Agen, France. Former rides and attractions Roller coasters present at park closure Water rides present at park closure Flat rides present at park closure Other rides present at park closure Children's rides present at park closure Past attractions Incidents Hydro On 15 April 2004, 16-year-old Hayley Williams died after falling approximately 30.4 metres (100 ft) from the top of the ride. The incident was attributed to human error, as CCTV footage showed that staff had not properly checked to ensure the rider's restraint was secure. Following the accident, the ride was closed for the remainder of the season, and later reopened with more secure over-the-shoulder restraints, replacing the original lap bars. A 2006 coroner's inquest returned a narrative verdict, indicating that the accident was primarily due to the restraints being improperly secured by staff, rather than being fundamentally unsafe. CCTV evidence showed that the victim’s lap bar was in an “open and unsafe position” and that ride operators failed to adequately check passengers' restraints. On 18 May 2007, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced that Oakwood Theme Park would be prosecuted. In February 2008, Oakwood Theme Park was charged with failing to ensure that guests were safely restrained. The case was heard at Swansea Crown Court on 7 July 2008, where the park pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. On 18 December 2008, the park was fined £250,000 plus £80,000 in legal costs. High Court Judge Justice Lloyd-Jones noted that safety breaches at the park had created “the potential for really serious injury to very large numbers of people”. Treetops On 23 October 2022, a rider was ejected from one of the rearmost carriages of the ride. The park was evacuated and closed whilst the HSE investigated with Dyfed-Powys Police. The HSE determined there had been no fault with the ride, and declared no further action was necessary. The rider's injuries were stated to be non-life threatening. Bounce On 10 July 2024, the drop tower ride Bounce came to a sudden stop, described by park management as a "programmed emergency stop procedure”. Around eight people received first aid treatment on site, while six others visited hospital for further treatment. See also Tourism in Wales References External links Oakwood Theme Park Official Website