The Magical Kingdom of Camelot in Chorley, Lancashire, closed in 2012 after nearly 30 years – now it serves a very different purpose
A haunting, derelict theme park has been given a fitting yet terrifying new use, with another fate in the pipeline.
Built in 1983 and inspired by King Arthur folklore, the Magical Kingdom of Camelot welcomed an impressive 500,000 visitors annually during its hey day.
Famous for its iconic white castle entrance, the attraction featured numerous thrilling rides and roller coasters such as Whirlwind and Excalibur.
The Knightmare roller coaster, which arrived at the venue in late 2006, reportedly cost £3 million to construct and quickly became the park’s most popular attraction. Yet as time passed, Camelot’s appeal began to decline.
By 2005, the Lancashire attraction in Chorley was drawing just 336,000 annual guests. In 2012, it shut its gates permanently.
The theme Park spans a whopping 140 acres and was worth around £800million, due to analysts at Together Money.
Back in 2017 urban explorer Matthew Holmes paid a visit to Camelot. He said: “I went to the theme park when I was 13 years old and most adults have been. I thought, let’s go a have a look and see what’s there.
“”I went inside and instantly all these memories came back from when I was a child.
“It was quite sad to walk around, it is very dilapidated. All that excitement and fun to be replaced by empty space. It’s frozen in time. All these rides are still there.”
In 2024 the derelict park hosted the renowned Scare City event, offering a nightmarish experience for horror fans.
The North West’s spine-chilling guaranteed attendees would depart ‘believing in pure evil’.
The acclaimed fright fest showcased 11 terrifying zones throughout the decaying theme park grounds. Guests could expect the comeback of some recognisable characters as part of the sinister Carni Valley attraction, according to Manchester Evening News.
The relentless trail of terror blends elaborate staging and live performers across numerous zones, guaranteed to frighten even the most fearless attendees.
The programme includes an array of nightmarish zones such as the Slaughter House, residence of Camelot’s local cannibal preparing for his yearly feast, plus Junkyard and the bone-chilling Reaper’s Reach.
Park-goers were warned about the debut of their latest zone ‘Arakhne’, where visitors must endure the horrifying challenge of entering the spider queen’s lair and confronting sinister beings throughout their journey.
Among the shrieks and panic, brave attendees culd seek sanctuary in the ‘Resurrection Zone’, where refreshments will be served at the halfway mark.
More recently, the disused location has captured the interest of property developers, particularly Story Homes who are seeking to build a substantial residential development on the site.
The firm submitted proposals to demolish the theme park and create comparable projects in 2017 and 2019, though both were rejected due to concerns regarding greenbelt land usage.
Developers have now lodged a revised proposal with Chorley Council detailing plans for a substantial housing scheme.
The project encompasses up to 350 properties (with half designated as affordable housing), a 186.9 square metre community facility, alongside ‘associated habitat creation, landscaping, open space, parking, footpaths, cycleways, drainage and other infrastructure’.
“The vision for the site is to deliver a development that provides an exceptional quality of place, underpinned by the highest standards of design and sensitive placemaking,” according to the accompanying planning document.
“The proposed development will deliver the homes that people need, responding to the acute housing and affordability crisis in the Borough by delivering the type, tenure and quality of market and affordable housing, alongside community infrastructure, that will create and support a new community.
“The vision for the site is supported by a generous landscape led masterplan that respects the wider Green Belt and woodland context and provides new green spaces, green infrastructure and habitats as a fundamental element of a new landscape framework.”
