Narberth, a bustling small town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, is known for its charming high street filled with independent shops, cafes, butchers, bakeries and more. Despite its modest population of just over 3,000, the town’s unique appeal lies in its close-knit community where everyone knows everyone.
However, this corner of Pembrokeshire, just over two hours from Bristol, relies heavily on tourism. The county, home to around 125,000 residents sees millions of visitors each year.
According to a report by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, there were 6.6 million visits in 2022 alone. Recently, it was announced that Oakwood, Wales’ largest theme park located just five miles from Narberth, would not reopen for the 2025 season.
The owners, Aspro Parks, revealed that it was no longer financially viable to operate and maintain the once-popular family attraction.
Since its opening in 1987, Oakwood Theme Park drew hundreds of thousands of visitors annually at its peak, becoming a beloved destination not just for locals in Pembrokeshire but also for people from all over Wales and the rest of the UK. Despite recent opinions that Oakwood’s best days were behind it, the park’s closure has been met with widespread disappointment, marking the end of an era for one of Pembrokeshire’s most iconic attractions, reports Wales Online.
“Being a Pembrokeshire person who was born here and lives here I can remember Oakwood opening for the first time,” shared Mark Richards, co-owner of Useful and Beautiful Things in Narberth. “It’s sad. I know a lot of people who have worked there and the employment side of it is really the loss.”
Richards expressed hope that the closure wouldn’t impact his business, as Narberth attracts visitors for different reasons.
He noted the importance of other local attractions like Folly Farm and Heatherton World of Activities, and particularly Bluestone Resort, whose closure he believes would be a significant blow to the area due to its role in bringing tourists into the nearby town.
What’s the magic behind Narberth’s charm?
“I don’t know what makes it so great,” pondered Mr Richards, who noted that customers he served years ago in his shop are still returning. “People want to come back to Narberth. It’s full of small independent shops and people like wandering around.”
However, Narberth wasn’t always the trendy hotspot it is today.
“Back in the ’70s and ’80s it was quite a rundown market town,” Mr Richards recalled. “It had a lot of pubs and it was a rough old place. A gallery opened in the high street (The Golden Sheaf Gallery, open since 1992) and that seemed to start the ball rolling. It’s all changed for the better now.”
Just across the road, near the town’s clock tower, lies Fire and Ice, a craft bottle shop with an impressive selection of artisan ciders, spirits, and craft ales, not to mention their highly praised ice-cream.
So much so, that in 2023, the Guardian named it one of their ’10 great places to eat ice-cream in the UK’.
Ivan Wilson, the owner of Oakwood theme park, has expressed his concerns following the sudden closure of the popular attraction. Having worked at the park over two decades ago, he returned from holiday to the news of its closure.
His primary worry is for the employees who now face joblessness. “People are going to be without jobs this summer,” he said.
He also highlighted the impact on students who relied on seasonal work to manage their debts. Despite the closure, he doesn’t foresee a significant impact on local trade as most visitors were day-trippers.
However, he voiced broader concerns about the future of tourism in Pembrokeshire. “Have the dynamics changed?” he questioned, pondering what else the region has to offer beyond tourism.
Mr Wilson also discussed the complexities surrounding council tax rates on second homes and the potential introduction of a tourism tax, expressing concern about the long-term effects on towns like Narberth.
“It’s hard work running an independent shop in Narberth at the moment with all the increases we are having to deal with,” Mr Wilson remarked. “It’s just the two of us here [at Fire and Ice] so we are lucky that we don’t have to employ anyone else. I would have concerns if I worked in hospitality.”
Just a short distance from Oakwood, Kevin Hart, who operates The Snooty Fox – a pub, restaurant, campsite, and events venue – shared his observations.
From his car park, one can usually spot some of the rides, and in the upcoming months, the sounds of Megafobia’s speeding carriages would typically be audible. “It’s been going downhill for a while,” Mr Hart commented on the neighbouring theme park.
“We’d have campers staying here who would walk round to Oakwood and they would often report that a lot of the rides were closed. People say it’s deteriorated over the years but I think [the closure] will affect us.”
He added optimistically, “Thankfully we get a lot of trade from Bluestone because people stay there for a few days and like to go out and about and explore the area so we get a lot of them coming here for food. It would be nice if Bluestone could buy [Oakwood] and do something with it. If it had been kept up it could have been brilliant so we are still hopeful that someone could take it over and bring it back to what it once was. It’s dwindled off in the last few years so the closure is not a surprise but there are a lot of other facilities [in this area] and there’s still a lot of things to draw people.”
In the charming town of Narberth, Victoria James, who runs the retro clothing boutique Rock n Rolla, acknowledges that the loss of Oakwood, a significant tourist draw, is indeed a “major blow”. Yet, she remains optimistic about the town’s resilience, saying, “Narberth draws people because it’s a bustling, vibrant market town with a lot of independent shops – that’s what makes it unique. Narberth is quite busy now but it gets busier at the start of the holiday letting season. I think Oakwood was a destination in itself so I don’t think it will have a big effect on the town.”
The closure of Oakwood, a west Wales staple for nearly four decades, has been labelled as “just the tip of the iceberg for Welsh tourism” by the Wales Tourism Allowance.
While the full repercussions of Oakwood shutting its doors remain uncertain, and may only be fully understood after one or more summer seasons, the community of Narberth holds onto hope that their town, along with their picturesque county, possesses ample charm to withstand this latest challenge.