A beloved North East waterpark, which was a quintessential destination throughout many people's childhoods, has not only shut up shop for good but has also been demolished. The popular spot was once the UK's largest indoor waterpark, pulling in huge crowds of visitors from near and far.
The Rise and Fall of Wet N Wild
It was, of course, the famed Wet N Wild in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, which first opened its doors in 1993. It was a hotspot among families and thrillseekers thanks to its wide selection of slides, including the Kamikaze, the UK's steepest water slide with an impressive and 'terrifying' 80-foot drop; the Abyss, which featured two large drops; the Tornado which had two slides that snaked round each other to allow people to race their friends; the double tyre slide the Black Hole, and plenty more. It was also home to a wave machine and rapids, which mimicked the fast flow of a natural river.
Unfortunately, as time went on, the park attracted fewer visitors due, in part, to its expensive admission charges alongside the high running costs of keeping the park running. In 2013, Wet N Wild entered administration.
Attempts at Revival
It was reopened in 2014 after a £1.1 million refurbishment by Moirai Capital Investments and Serco Leisure, which included the addition of a new soft play area and family changing rooms, as well as a new cafe. But it wasn't to last. By 2019, it was confirmed the park would be closing once again. Complaints rolled in from guests who blasted the damaged pools, dirty floors in the changing rooms, and more. Wet N Wild remained closed and by February 2020, Serco Leisure confirmed it wouldn't reopen that year.
Abandonment and Demolition
It remained abandoned for a number of years and fell victim to multiple break-ins and vandalism before its demolition was confirmed. On November 8 2024, the demolition work began on the derelict park. One fan of the former waterpark shared a string of photos to Reddit and asked for fellow visitors' stories from its 'heyday'. They added: 'I'm not from the area but used to go up there quite a lot. Loved this place and haven't come across anything in the UK quite like it.'
Fond Memories from Visitors
In the comments section, fellow social media users were keen to share their thoughts and memories. One person said: 'I remember being terrified of the Kamikaze, pretty much just a sheer vertical drop in a pitch black tube'. Another agreed: 'Kamikaze was insane because I could feel myself lifting off it. Someone needs to buy the park and restore it.' A third simply said: 'Christ, memory unlocked haha' while a fourth lamented: 'It's closed?!?!' Someone else added: 'I had no idea it was closed. That's sad. I remember it had a ride which had multiple slides and pools. 9-year-old me and my friends thought we were massive rebels by going down those short slides backwards, then the lifeguard blew a whistle at us and we were terrified, so we never did anything so rebellious again.' And another said: 'Told my mum I was going to the cinema, was around 11 or 12, me and a friend jumped on the ferry and went to Wet N Wild for the day. Good times.'
