The UK theme park was home to some mega rides and roller coasters (Image: John Myers)
Once a hugely popular UK park that welcomed thousands of visitors every year, it now lies completely abandoned, with its mammoth roller coaster left to rot.
The beloved theme park of Oakwood, in Pembrokeshire, was a treasured gem in Wales that first opened in 1987. It began as a modest family-run park but gradually grew into Wales’ largest theme park, with 35 thrilling rides and attractions that drew visitors from far and wide.
There were mammoth rides at Oakwood, including the wooden roller coaster of Megaphobia, the massive log flume, Drenched, Wales’ fastest rollercoaster, Speed and the UK’s tallest sky-swing, Vertigo. These were often dubbed ‘The Big Four’ by visitors, providing the most thrilling twists and turns.
During its heyday, it welcomed thousands of thrillseekers (Image: John Myers)
Elsewhere, there was the gentler Treetops roller coaster, which offered a scenic route through trees, along with the Creepy Crawler found in the section of the park named ‘Spooky Street’. Other notable rides and attractions included the Skull Rock, Snake River Falls, Bounce, Bobsleigh and the classic Pirate Ship.
Yet, one of its most beloved rides was the wooden roller coaster, Megaphobia, that was one of the park’s original rides. It consisted of twisting turns and sweeping drops at 48mph, reaching a peak of 85ft, and there was even a part of the ride that sped past towering trees for an enchanting experience.
Oakwood had previously faced difficulties and was taken over by Aspro Parks in 2008, who invested over £25m in the theme park to keep it open. Some of its rides were refurbished, but the park’s popularity started to dim.
Megaphobia was Oakwood’s most beloved ride, but it now lies abandoned (Image: John Myers)
In recent years, it was brutally dubbed the « UK’s worst theme park », and negative reviews on TripAdvisor urged people to « avoid at all costs! » Sadly, after nearly 40 years, the park announced its permanent closure in 2025 due to declining visitor numbers, which led to financial struggles.
The owners also cited « unrelenting economic challenges » from « ride parts to electricity costs, food and beverage inflation, increases in the National Living Wage and changes to national insurance thresholds » as factors behind its significant rise in costs.
Today, the park remains abandoned following its closure, despite short-lived hopes that Oakwood would reopen. Some rides have been dismantled and removed from the park, while others lie dormant in a place that once welcomed thrillseekers and families for a fun-packed day out.
Today, the theme park remains eerily quiet (Image: John Myers)
In haunting photos of the closed park, the grounds are eerily quiet alongside the neglected rides, including the former favourite, Megaphobia. The wooden roller coaster appears to be rotting away in the park, untouched, with no plans announced for its removal or relocation as of yet.
In a statement from Aspro Parks Group at the time of its closure, it read: « 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 ».
Fans were gutted to hear that Oakwood had closed (Image: John Myers)
Visitors were heartbroken to learn that the cherished Oakwood had reached its end, with one fan posting on TripAdvisor: « Gutted Oakwood closed – it felt like saying goodbye to an old mate! The rides had character, the memories were top-notch, but the park had been looking a bit tired for years. Still, nostalgia wins – as we say in Wales, ‘Dim ond yn yr hen hen ffordd y mae’r gorau yn dod’ – sometimes the best comes from the old ways! »
Many other fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their sadness, as one wrote: « Actually devastated about Oakwood closing… Speed and new Megafobia were some of the best coasters in the country, and the feeling of surviving the waterfall made the trek down there worth it alone. »
« A loss for the Themeparkworld.. but not very surprising for someone who has visited the park the last few years, » another commented. While one more suggested: « I just want a UK park to buy Megaphobia, maybe Thorpe Park or a smaller park that could use a big thrill ride. »
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Source link
