It has been a year since the beloved Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, closed its doors forever, and its future remains uncertain as nature reclaims the site. The park, which first opened on April 14, 1987, as a modest leisure park, shut down in March 2025 due to what its owners described as 'unrelenting economic challenges'.
A History of Thrills
Oakwood started with a narrow-gauge railway, go-karting, water slides, and a bobsleigh. In the 1990s, it introduced the iconic rollercoaster Megafobia, built at a cost of roughly £1.7 million. This was followed by bigger attractions, including Speed: No Limits in 2006, which was the steepest rollercoaster in the UK at the time. After closure, Speed: No Limits was relocated to Walygator Sud-Ouest in France.
Current State of the Park
Over a year after closure, some rides remain in remnants or have not been torn down. Others, such as Drenched, Treetops, the Pirate Ship, and Snake River Falls, have been given a new life at other parks. The site is still owned by Aspro Parks, a Spanish leisure corporation that owns 68 parks across Europe. Aspro purchased Oakwood in 2008 from the McNarma family, who founded it in the 1980s.
Aspro stated: 'In the entire history of Aspro we have never closed any park or attraction. We, and our dedicated team of staff, have strived to overcome numerous challenges to continue to bring joy to families. Unfortunately, we could no longer see a sustainable way forward.'
Local Impact and Future
Di Clements, county councillor for the Martletwy ward, noted that there has been little discussion about the site's future. He said: 'No plans have been made public. Other local attractions have become popular, so Oakwood's closure didn't have much of an impact locally. Ideally, if there are no future plans as a theme park, the remaining structures should be removed. It's not attractive to have rusting structures visible in such a beautiful area.'
Clements suggested an 'all-weather attraction' for Pembrokeshire, while others speculate the site could be developed to expand Bluestone National Park Resort, a holiday park in the same county.
