Grove Land Leisure Park, a £1 million theme park in St Clears, Carmarthenshire, opened in 1994 on a former dairy farm and closed in 2005 after operating for over a decade. Former employees and visitors recall its rollercoasters, including Thunderbolt, Cyclone, and Cyber Space, as well as the infamous Snake Slide that caused friction burns.
From Dairy Farm to Theme Park
The park was built on 30 acres of Grove Farm, a 210-acre working dairy farm owned by the Williams family for four generations. John and Janet Williams transformed the land into a leisure park, driven by their experience hosting large crowds for their pedigree Friesian herd and a desire to boost the local rural economy. The park featured rides like the Dance Master waltzer, Rodeo Rider, Snake Slide, dodgems, go-karts, a pirate ship, laser clay pigeon shooting, and pedalo boats. Barmy Barny served as the park's mascot.
Opening Season and Employment
Upon opening seasonally, the park aimed to attract 75,000 visitors in its first year and create up to 70 jobs initially, rising to 300 over three years. Adult tickets cost £7.50 and children's £5.60, with all rides and shows included. The park offered a "country show ground atmosphere" with calf parades and animal showmanship.
Employee Memories: Jade Walsh
Jade Walsh, now 40, worked as a ride operator at Grove Land for two to three seasons from age 16. She recalled operating bumper boats and pedalos: "I remember people would often get stuck in the reeds and things so you would often have to go out and rescue them." She described Thunderbolt, a gravity rollercoaster: "How fast it went would depend on how heavy you were. Sometimes we would have to load it with sandbags if there was only a couple of kids in it. If it got stuck at the top, you'd have to climb up it, run across the tracks, push it, then get down to the bottom so you could stop it at the end. Health and safety wasn't a thing then, but I loved it!" She added: "It was a nice environment to work in... Everyone was really sad when it went, because there wasn't a hell of a lot to do around here."
Visitor Recollections: Gemma Daniels
Gemma Daniels, now 36, visited the park on school trips from Ysgol Llwyn Yr Eos in Aberystwyth between ages six and nine. She said: "Trips to Grove Land are a core childhood memory for me." She recalled a rodeo-themed sizzler ride and a rollercoaster with a gold mine-themed carriage. The most memorable ride was a slide: "The ride that we all avoided was a slide, it was like a big dipper, and it was the first time I had ever seen a ride like that. I remember kids coming off it with friction burns! They had a protector mat but you would bounce off it, because it was really fast." She noted the park was never crowded and felt safe: "You'd have a chance to go on everything and see everything." She expressed regret that her children won't experience it: "If it was open now, it's a place I'd take my son to."
Closure and Afterlife
Grove Land closed in 2005, with rides relocated: Thunderbolt went to Loudoun Castle and Cyclone to Killarney Springs Family Park. In 2008, the site was listed for £3.3 million. By 2014, Carmarthenshire Council approved a development of 32 holiday cottages and 26 accommodation units. The project reportedly launched as a static caravan park in 2018. Twenty-one years after closure, former visitors and workers continue to cherish memories of the park.
