AN ABANDONED theme park with spooky bunny statues and gloomy tunnels has been left to rot.
Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, shut its gates for the final time on Tuesday, March 5.
One bunny with its arms outstretched looks particularly haunted[/caption]
A rabbit family collecting dust in the abandoned ride[/caption]
Not many visitors would dare to explore the spooky tunnels now[/caption]
It was the biggest theme park in Wales – and locals were distraught to see it go.
The park had been saved back in 2008 after £25million was put back into it – but that proved just a sticking plaster.
The owners blamed the government’s national insurance and minimum wage hikes for making it impossible to carry on.
And now, less than a week after shutting up, the park already looks like a ghost of its former self.
The former children’s attraction has transformed into some that looks more akin to a haunted house.
Creepy pictures from the old Nutty Jake’s ride, which first opened in 1987, are particularly eerie.
In 2001 it was turned into the less popular Brer Rabbit’s Burrow.
The bizarre bunnies are still standing but are now covered in dust and would be sure to spark some screams.
Some wouldn’t look out of place behind some glass in a museum full of haunted objects.
Elsewhere in the park, an iconic pirate ship has run aground for the final time, and now sits with pieces of metal hanging off it.
Bright toy planes that once whizzed children through the air have been lined up and fenced off.
Broken sections of roller coaster track – the backbone of Oakwood – lie strewn around in the mud.
And the mini black taxi carts are still and without passengers.
The attraction has been left in shambles[/caption]
One bunny is still relaxing in the tub[/caption]
The ride still sits empty at the station[/caption]
Oakwood is the latest theme park to fold in recent months – with others around the country at risk.
Despite the park’s owners citing the UK government as the cause of its financial woes, locals have pointed to another hurdle barring the tourism and hospitality industry.
Some believe that the Welsh government’s proposed “tourist tax” is snuffing out the tourism trade – even before it takes effect.
They say that Oakwood’s closure is just the “tip of the iceberg” of the decline that is to come.
The new levy, which could be introduced in Wales from 2027, would see visitors to the country paying a £1.25p per night tourism tax when they stay at hotels, B&Bs and self-catered accommodation.
A lower rate of 75p would be charged for hostels and campsites.
The Welsh government insists the money raised would help fund services in tourism hotspots, but critics say it will deter visitors.
Kevin Hart, who has been running a bar restaurant and caravan and camping site within walking distance of Oakwood for the past 18 years, is “dreading” the new tax.
Theme park closures in recent years
Leisure Island Fun Park – Canvey Island, Essex
Leisure Island Fun Park confirmed it would be shutting down after 20 years of operation in February, 2025.
It had undergone a refurbishment in 2021 and has not explained the reason behind its closure.
All of the rides and attractions have since been removed.
In a statement, it thanked the “3,000 staff members” who have worked there in the past two decades.
It added: “It’s so sad we have had to close the park but hopefully we have created loads of memories for the families that visited us.”
Flambards theme park – Cornwall
In November 2024, Flambards theme park in Cornwall also shut its doors.
Having opened in 1976, it became Flambards in 1990 after more rides were added, with the name coming from a popular TV drama.
It was saved from closure in 2012, only for it to close 12 years later.
In a statement, it said that “all possible avenues had been exhausted” in trying to keep it open, but cited rising costs as the issue.
Pleasure Island Family Theme Park – Lincolnshire
Pleasure Island Family Theme Park closed its doors in 2016 after falling visitor numbers.
Its rides and rollercoasters were distributed to various other theme parks across the globe, leaving empty spaces where they once stood.
Since its closure, a number of Urban Explorers have ventured onto the site.
And now, ghostly new images have emerged showing the once bustling tourist hotspot looking derelict nearly a decade after it shut.
Wet n Wild – North Shields
Wet n Wild was shut in September 2018 due to maintenance issues, with its reopening date repeatedly being pushed back.
It had struggled perpetually with visitor numbers.
It was a popular waterpark for families in the north east, however owners Serco were forced to close it down permanently in 2020 after years of financial difficulty.
Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, shut its gates for the final time on Tuesday, March 5[/caption]
The theme park was the biggest in Wales – and locals were distraught to see it go[/caption]
The former children’s attraction has transformed into some that looks more akin to a haunted house[/caption]
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