Brean Leisure Park facts for kids
| Previously known as Holiday Resort Unity | |
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| Location | Holiday Resort Unity, Brean, Somerset, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°17′08″N 3°00′35″W / 51.285668°N 3.009664°W |
| Opened | 1946 |
| Owner | Holiday Resort Unity |
| Operated by | Phil Booth |
| Slogan | The South West's Leading Family Destination! |
| Operating season | March to November |
| Attendance | 750,000+ per annum |
| Area | 200 acres (80.9 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 30+ (T.B.C.) |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Website | |
Brean Leisure Park is a super fun amusement park located in Brean, a coastal town near Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, England. It's a huge place, covering about 200 acres (that's like 150 football fields!).
The park is open for most of the year, from March to November. Over the years, it has hosted many famous performers like Peter Andre and Jason Donovan. You might have even seen it on TV! Shows like Brainiac: Science Abuse, Casualty, The Sparticle Mystery, and even Rosie and Jim have filmed episodes here.
Contents
A Look Back at Brean Leisure Park's History
From Farm to Fun: The Early Years (1946-1970s)
It all started in 1946 when Albert and Marie House bought Unity Farm. For about 30 years, it was mostly a dairy farm with lots of cows! They even bottled milk right there for the local area.
But even back then, people loved camping by the sea. In 1946, a chocolate factory from Bristol set up big tents for its employees to have seaside holidays. This was the very beginning of what is now Holiday Resort Unity! Soon, many groups, like the Boy's Brigade, came to Brean for their vacations.
In 1948, the farm got permission to use some land for caravans and camping. About 20 acres were set aside for this. Through the 1950s and 1960s, camping and caravans became a much bigger part of Unity Farm. Slowly, the number of cows, pigs, and sheep on the farm decreased.
Growing into a Leisure Park (1970s-1980s)
During the 1970s and 1980s, Brean Leisure Park really started to take shape. A golf center called Mid Somerset Golf Centre opened, offering target golf, a driving range, and an 8-hole golf course. More fun activities were added, like a swimming pool, donkey races, and outdoor markets.
A greyhound racing track opened on July 3, 1975. This was an independent track, not part of the main racing organization.
Brean Leisure Park began attracting many visitors from places like South Wales, Bristol, and Birmingham. In the late 1970s, the House family took full ownership. They wanted to focus on making the park even better for holidays and fun!
The 8-hole golf course grew into an 18-hole course, becoming Brean Golf Club. It hosted professional and celebrity tournaments and was open to members and holiday guests.
In 1980, a new complex called the 'Tavern' (originally 'Farmers Tavern') opened. It was a place for family entertainment, parties, and weddings. It also had an amusement arcade and fast food spots.
The greyhound track closed on March 12, 1984. After that, the park worked on making the area look even nicer with a big landscaping project.
New Additions and Big Changes (1990s-2010s)
More cool things were added in the 1990s. The swimming pool complex (now called Brean Splash) got a river-style ride. In 1994, two Ten-Pin Bowling lanes were added at Unity Farm.
In 2000, one of the biggest projects happened: the RJ's Entertainment complex. This was a huge investment to create a new, American-themed venue. It could hold about 700 people!
In 2008, the famous puppets Sooty, Sweep, and Soo found a new home at Brean Leisure Park. This happened when Richard Cadell bought the rights to them.
On July 18, 2014, the park was sold to a family from Barry Island in South Wales.
Awesome Rides at Brean Leisure Park
Brean Leisure Park has many exciting rides for everyone! Here are some of the main attractions you can enjoy:
| # | Name | Opened | Manufacturer | What it is |
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Crazy Loop |
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Pinfari | A rollercoaster that goes upside down! It used to be at other parks and was called "Shockwave." |
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Magic Mouse |
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Reverchon Industries | A rollercoaster where the cars spin as they go around sharp turns. |
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Astro Storm |
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Zierer | An indoor rollercoaster that feels like a space adventure. It opened in 2011. |
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Caterpillar Coaster |
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D.P.V. Rides | A fun caterpillar-themed rollercoaster for younger riders. |
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Wild Water |
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Reverchon Industries | A log flume ride with two exciting drops into the water. |
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Wipeout |
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KMG | A thrilling ride that swings you high into the air. It was even called the scariest ride by Brainiac: Science Abuse! |
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Xtreme |
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KMG | This is the tallest ride in the park, giving you an amazing view and a big thrill! |
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Terror Castle |
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Supercar | A spooky ghost train ride through a dark castle. |
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Ultimate |
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Sobema | A Matterhorn (ride) that spins and goes up and down like a mountain adventure. |
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X-Factory |
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KMG | A fast-paced ride that spins and moves in different directions, with water blasters too! |
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Sizzler |
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P.W.S. | A modern Twist (ride) that spins you around and around. |
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Waveswinger |
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Fabbri Group | A classic swing ride that lifts you into the air and spins you in a circle. |
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Disco Fever |
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P.W.S. | A fun ride that bounces and spins, like a dance party! |
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Jetspin |
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Zamperla | A large spinning disc ride that goes back and forth on a half-pipe track. |
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Dodgems |
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SBF (track) / Bertazzon (cars) | Classic bumper cars where you can crash into your friends! |
Past Rides: A Look Back
Over the years, Brean Leisure Park has had many different rides. Here are some of the notable ones that are no longer there:
| Opened | Closed | Name | Manufacturer | Description |
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| 2004 | 2004 | "Sky Scraper" | Technical Park | A very tall Ferris Wheel that offered great views. |
| 2003 | 2005 | "Superbowl" | Keith Emmett | A spinning ride that tilted and moved in different directions. |
| 1990 | 2002 | "Ski Jump" | Maxwell | A unique ride that felt like flying through the air. |
| 1986 | 1999 | "Kansas City" | Hayes Fabrication | A traditional ghost train Dark ride with spooky scenes. |
| 2001 | 2002 | "Crazy Frog" | Safeco | A ride that bounced and spun, similar to Disco Fever. |
| 1995 | 2002 | "Pod Racer" | Reverchon Industries | A Matterhorn (ride) style ride that moved like a race car. |
| 1996 | 2002 | "Pure Adrenalin" | Fairmatt | The park's first "Miami" style ride, with fast, swinging motions. |
| 2003 | 2004 | "Over Rider" | Nottingham UK | Another "Miami" style ride that was very popular. |
| 1984 | 1990 | "Paratrooper" | Modern Products | The park's first Paratrooper (ride), which lifted and spun riders. |
| 1991 | 1994 | "Paratrooper" | Harry Steer | A second version of the Paratrooper (ride) ride. |
| 1980s | 1990s | "Rainbow" | HUSS Park Attractions | A Rainbow (ride) that swung riders high into the air. |
| 1998 | 2001 | "Figure Of Eight" | Pinfari | A powered rollercoaster with a figure-eight track. |
| 2002 | 2006 | "Crazy Mouse" | Reverchon Industries | A spinning wild mouse rollercoaster, similar to Magic Mouse. |
| 1986 | 1997 | "Wild Mouse" | Butlins | A rollercoaster with sharp, sudden turns that made you feel like you were going to fall off! |
| 1990s | 1998 | "Skid" | Hayes Fabrication | A traditional spinning ride. |
| 2013 | 2014 | "Speed Wave" | Mondial (amusement ride manufacturer) | A thrilling Top Scan ride that spun and flipped riders. |
| 1980s | 1999 | "Twist" | Ivan Bennett | The park's original Twist (ride) ride, later replaced by Sizzler. |
| 1984 | 1984 | "Waltzer" | Lakin | The park's first Waltzer ride, a classic spinning attraction. |
| 1985 | 2002 | "Waltzer" | The park's second Waltzer ride. | |
| 2006 | 2006 | "Waltzer" | Maxwell | The park's third Waltzer ride. |
| 2007 | 2014 | "Waltzer" | A.R.M. | The park's fourth Waltzer ride. |
| 1984 | 1985 | "Gallopers" | Allchin | The park's first set of classic carousel horses. |
| 1993 | 1998 | "Gallopers" | Savage | The park's second set of carousel horses. |
| 2005 | "Gallopers" | Mardi Gras | The park's third set of carousel horses. | |
| 2005 | 2011 | "Xtreme" | KMG | The park's first "Booster" ride, a tall, fast spinning arm. |
| 2015 | 2015 | "Star Flyer" | AK Rides | A very tall vertical swing ride that was at the park for one season. |
| 2005 | 2015 | "Frisbee" | Ivan Bennett | A ride that swung back and forth like a pendulum. |
| 2018 | 2018 | "Air Maxx" | Technical Park | A "Loop Fighter" ride that spun and flipped riders, visiting for one season. |
Brean Splash: A Watery Adventure!
Brean Splash is a fantastic waterpark that's part of the Brean Leisure Park family. In 2014, Brean Splash invested £2 Million (that's a lot of money!) to build a brand new indoor waterpark area. This means you can enjoy splashing around no matter the weather!
Images for kids
