Once bustling with families and the sounds of laughter, several theme parks in Cornwall now stand abandoned and overgrown. Photographs have captured the eerie remains of attractions that closed years ago, including Dobwalls Adventure Park and the former Spirit of the West theme park.
Dobwalls Adventure Park, near Liskeard, closed its gates in 2010 after more than 35 years of operation. Founded by John Southern in 1970 on a former pig farm, the park was famous for its miniature steam and diesel trains that ran along two miles of track. It was a popular destination for school trips and families, offering rides, a play barn, and a sand and water play area.
The Spirit of the West theme park in St Columb Major shut down in 2009 and has since been demolished. The site was redeveloped into the five-star Retallack Resort and Spa, a luxury holiday destination with lodges, watersports, and spa facilities. Photos of the deserted park had previously circulated online, showing nature reclaiming the area.
Another abandoned site is Tivoli Park in the village of Lerryn, a century-old pleasure garden modelled after Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. Created by china clay magnate Frank Parkyn in the 1920s, the park featured fountains, arches, a bandstand, and an octagonal pool. It opened in 1922 as a venue for the Lerryn Regatta, but the event ended in 1968, and the park has since been reclaimed by woodland.
The decline of independent theme parks has been attributed to competition from larger attractions like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. In 2023, Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire closed after nearly 40 years, with its operator, Aspro Parks Group, stating that a sustainable way forward could not be found.
