This park is tucked away in Pembrokeshire, South Wales and so many enthusiasts have yet to give this place a try but despite its comparatively low profile it is well worth a visit. Oakwood does not have as many attractions as some destinations and is essentially a small collection of rides in the rolling hills with little theming but it is a pleasant place to spend a day and has very reasonable entrance fees.

The Park

The attractions of Oakwood are scattered across wide open spaces in the Welsh countryside and the place gives the impression of having randomly arrived in the night! The park is attractive and well maintained and what it lacks in theming it makes up for in peaceful surroundings and a sense of calm that you simply don’t get in most theme parks. There is a pleasant lake in the heart of the park with pedal boats and some wooded areas punctuating the landscape. The park is somewhat let down by the woeful catering and so if you want to eat well take a packed lunch!

The Rides

The main draws of Oakwood are the “Big Four” rides Megafobia, Speed No Limits, Drenched and Bounce. Megafobia is a really exceptional wooden coaster situated next to a small lake and cleverly landscaped. The ride experience is thrilling from start to finish and there are enough drops and bends to satisfy even the most hardened enthusiast. Don’t expect to be comfortable though! The ride is rough and the restraint system includes an airline type seat belt with a buckle that has a propensity to stab you in the guts at inopportune moments.

Speed No Limits is a Gerstlauer Eurofighter with a 95 degree first drop and plenty of turns and inversions. The ride is similar to sister rides Saw the Ride at Thorpe Park and Rage in Southend but overall more fun than both if totally lacking any theming and having a rather slow moving queue. If you have tried Saw the Ride you will find this one surprisingly smooth in comparison and the first drop is longer.

Drenched is possibly the most appropriately named ride in the world! A large and somewhat heavy boat propels riders down a steep drop into a very cold lagoon which deposits most of its contents over the boat in a vast wave. There is no dry seat on this ride and the guests at the ends of the rows get totally soaked on impact.

Towers generally drop you rapidly or shoot you upwards but Bounce does both making this ride a better and longer experience than you would expect. If you have the time and the nerve to take them in there are some good views from the top and the ride is great fun and has a good enough capacity to keep the queues moving.

The park also offers the Treetops Coaster, a family coaster ride through the trees, a pirate ship, Snake River Falls which are water slides in rafts and a toboggan ride for which you will not require your winter gear but is great fun nonetheless.

Other Attractions

Guests looking to escape the thrills can enjoy the boating lake, a round of mini golf and a gold panning experience and there is Circus Land featuring attractions for small children. At the centre of the park the brave can take on Vertigo for an extra charge. Vertigo is a sky coaster on which guests get hoisted up to the top of the structure before pulling a rip-chord and going for a high adrenaline flight whilst amused onlookers admire their courage!

Conclusions

Oakwood has modest admission charges reflecting the relatively small selection of rides and attractions. The rides the park does have are actually rather good and it is a pleasant place to spend a day. It is a quite out of the way but overall worth a bit of a journey to get there if you are a thrill seeker.

Byline

Sally Stacey is a ride enthusiast and frequent visitor to Oakwood