Camelot Theme Park

Camelot Theme Park once stood on a flat 140-acre site near Chorley, surrounded by flat farmland. Its entrance showed a white castle gate, and inside the park every path and building followed a medieval Arthurian theme. The land had once been part of Martin Mere, a large lake drained in the 17th century. Local stories said the lake was where the nymph Vivian took the baby Lancelot. The park opened in 1983 and grew to include family rides, thrill coasters and live shows. The park’s signature rides included Whirlwind, a spinning coaster, Knightmare and Excalibur. A jousting tournament ran daily in the Avalon Arena, led by an actor playing King Arthur. Merlin’s castle housed magic shows and a school of wizardry. In 1995 the park welcomed half a million visitors, but by 2005 that number had fallen to 336,000. Poor weather and national events were blamed when the park closed in 2012. Visitors once walked past Merlin’s castle to watch the birds-of-prey show in the Avalon Arena. The Gauntlet roller coaster and Excalibur 2 once carried thrill-seekers, but after closure the site was left empty. Some rides were sold or scrapped, while others remained standing until demolition began in 2020. In 2022 the land hosted a drive-through zombie experience called Camelot Rises. Now only a few concrete bases and scattered metal frames remain among the grass.