Inside abandoned UK theme park that could reopen again 25 years after closing

02 March 2024 , 11:42

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The Frontierland amusement park in Morecambe which could have another life (Image: No fee)

A glimpse has been given inside an abandoned UK theme park that could reopen 25 years after pulling down the shutters.

Families flocked to Frontierland in Morecambe, Lancashire for more than 90 years after it first opened in 1906. It changed its name in the years that followed and became a Western-themed amusement in 1987. Once owned by the Thompson family, who owned Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it was first bought in 1936 and was then known as the West End Amusement Park.

The family are said to have added a new ride every, but dwindling visitor numbers forced it to lose in 1999. It was famous for its log flume, and other rides including The Wild Mouse, The Rattler, Polo Tower, and Chair-o-Planes.

The Noahs Ark at Frontierland Western Theme Park, Morecambe, Lancashire in 1998 (The crypt | Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0))

It once had a wooden rollercoaster called the Cyclone which was designed and built by American engineer Harry Traver in 1937 for the Paris World Exposition. A later addition was a 150-foot Big Wheel which had to be quickly removed in 1982 because of neighbour complaints.

Geoffrey Thompson wanted to overhaul the park, once called City and Morecambe Pleasure Park. He worked to turn it into Frontierland which paid off for several years with thousands visiting the park. He then added another the Sky Ride in 1989 It allowed visitors to ‘fly’ over the theme park and promenade before looping back.

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But after its closure 10 years later, some rides were demolished, while others rehomed at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. This was the Thompson family's focus until Geoffrey and Doris died in 2004. The Polo Tower, first known as the Space Tower became a Morecambe landmark and it remained there until 2017. The park has remained derelict since its closure in 1999, but there is a suggestion it could reopen again as a must-visit tourist destination.

The 150 foot Skyride at Morecambe Pleasure Park, in August 1981 (Mirrorpix)

Log Flume at Frontierland was a hugely popular attraction (By Christian Solar - https://www.solars.de/cgi-bin/p.pl/parks/altegalerie/frontierland.html, CC-BY-SA, https://coasterpedia.net/w/index.php?curid=30656)

Lancaster City Council bought the site in 2021 and has invited interested parties to create proposals for it. It is keen these quickly progress as it does not want the site to remain empty for another 10 years. A spokesman said: "We have done an expression of interest and the majority of developers came forward with hotels and housing, and that’s not really the inspiration we want.

"We want something that’s more exciting. If somebody came along with a really brilliant idea for a fairground, why not? But it has to be something that gives the council some money back on its investment but also gives something for both visitors and locals."

The Mirror reported last month it could be given a new lease of life. It's hoped the re-opening of an attraction will pump new life into Lancashire seaside town, which has been in decline for several decades. Plans are also in the pipeline for an ambitious £100million botanical attraction similar to Cornwall's Eden Project.

Graeme Murray