An iconic British theme park has been forced into announcing its immediate closure after almost 40 years of operation.
Wales’s largest theme park, Oakwood, will not reopen for the 2025 season due to financial difficulties.
Declining visitor numbers have made the park financially unsustainable despite previous rescue efforts.
The park announced the closure with “much sadness” in an official statement on their website.
Oakwood Theme Park
Oakwood Theme Park
Management cited “unrelenting economic challenges” as the primary reason for shutting down.
The once-popular attraction had been struggling with a significant decline in visitor numbers in recent years.
Oakwood Theme Park made headlines across the UK when 16-year-old Hayley Williams died after falling 100ft from the top of the Hydro rollercoaster in 2004.
Aspro Parks took over Oakwood in 2008 to prevent its closure and has since invested over £25million in refurbishing rides.
In February, the company had announced plans to remove one of their famous water rides, Drenched.
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A police officer stands guard at the Hydro ride at Oakwood Leisure Park, in west Wales, where Hayley Williams, 16, of Pontypool, died yesterday after falling 100 feet from the top of the structure
PA
The parent company cited “unrelenting economic challenges” as the reason behind the difficult decision to close permanently.
It also detailed specific financial pressures that made operations untenable. These included rising costs for ride parts, electricity, food and beverage inflation.
Increases in National Living Wage and changes to national insurance thresholds were also cited as contributing factors. These mounting expenses ultimately made the park’s continued operation financially impossible.
A statement from Aspro Parks Group noted: “In the entire history of Aspro we have never closed any park or attraction.”
The company explained they had “strived to overcome numerous challenges” to continue operating.
“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,” they added.
An image of visitors at Oakwood Theme Park
OAKWOOD THEME PARK
Oakwood Theme Park expressed gratitude to all who had been part of its journey over the decades.
“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,” the statement read.
“We are sincerely grateful. Thank you for making Oakwood Theme Park a special place.”
The announcement has prompted an outpouring of sadness on social media.
One person wrote on X: “Well this is sad news. Oakwood Theme Park in Wales is to close. I hope Megafobia will be saved somehow.”
Another commented: “Actually devastated about oakwood closing… speed and new megafobia were some of the best coasters in the country.”
