A much-loved British theme park is set to shut its doors for the final time in just a few months.
The Coney Beach Pleasure Park in Porthcawl will shut its gates permanently this October, bringing an end to more than a century of seaside entertainment in the Welsh coastal town.
The Evans family, who operate the beloved attraction, announced this week that the current season would be their last at the site.
In an emotional statement posted on social media, the Evans family voiced their sadness at its looming closure.
“It is with heavy hearts we would like to share with you personally that this season at Coney Beach will be our last,” they wrote.
“We will be closing our gates for the final time this October.
The Coney Beach park in Porthcawl will shut its gates permanently this October
CONEY BEACH PORTHCAWL
“It’s the end of an era.”
The family continued: “For over 100 years, we and other showmen and their families have lived and worked in Porthcawl helping to make it a busy seaside destination bringing fun, laughter, and fond memories to so many.”
But the closure comes as major redevelopment plans are set to be rolled out across the waterfront.
The Welsh Government has recently acquired parcels of land for a mixed-use development project in partnership with Bridgend Council.
THEME PARK CLOSURES – READ MORE:
The closure comes as major redevelopment plans are set to be rolled out across the waterfront
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PICTURED: Coney Beach in 1966. The Evans family, who run the park, hailed a century of ‘fun, laughter, and fond memories to so many’ in Porthcawl
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The redevelopment plans for the area include up to 1,100 new homes, shops and restaurants, alongside extended boardwalks and green spaces, according to consultation documents released in February.
Welsh ministers confirmed they had secured ownership of sections of land within a 20-hectare site at the heart of the regeneration zone.
The revamp is expected to feature a new housing estate, retail business facilities and a new primary school.
The project also promises to deliver various recreational and leisure opportunities as part of Bridgend Council’s wider regeneration strategy for Porthcawl.
PICTURED: A windswept dog on a winter’s day at Coney Beach. The park has been a fixture of Porthcawl’s Newton area since 1918
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Coney Beach has been a fixture of Porthcawl’s Newton area since 1918, when it was constructed to provide entertainment for American troops returning from the First World War.
The park took its name from the famous Coney Island pleasure park in New York, though the Welsh attraction was considerably smaller than its American namesake.
Despite their sadness at leaving, the Evans family added: “We are forever grateful to have had the opportunity to have been part of so many generations of families’ lives, young and old,” they said.
“Thank you for sharing our love of ‘all the fun of the fair’ and the legacy that Coney Beach leaves.”