Demolition has begun at the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Chorley, Lancashire, which closed in 2012 and has since fallen into disrepair. The park, which opened in 1983, was themed around the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
At its peak, Camelot attracted over 500,000 visitors annually, but numbers declined to 336,204 by 2005. The park's closure was blamed on major events like the Olympics reducing visitor numbers. After closure, the site attracted urban explorers and suffered from vandalism and metal theft.
Notable rides included the Knightmare rollercoaster, dismantled in February 2020, and others such as the Dragon Flyer and Pendragon's Plunge. The park also hosted jousting tournaments and magic shows, and featured in a 1994 episode of Sooty & Co.
Ownership changed multiple times, with the park entering receivership in 2009 before being bought by Story Group. In 2015, plans to build 420 homes on the site were refused by Chorley Borough Council, with developers later revising their proposals.
