GreenWood facts for kids
| Previously known as GreenWood Forest Park, The GreenWood Centre | |
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| Location | Y Felinheli |
|---|---|
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1993 |
| Owner | Continuum Attractions |
| Attendance | 150,000 |
GreenWood (Welsh: Gelli Gyffwrdd) is a fun family park. It is located near Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, Wales. The park was once known as GreenWood Forest Park and The GreenWood Centre.
Stephen and Andrea Bristow opened the park in 1993. Today, it welcomes about 150,000 visitors each year. Continuum Attractions now owns GreenWood.
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The Story of GreenWood Park
Stephen and Andrea Bristow studied at Bangor University. They worked on projects to save trees in Africa. They wanted to teach people about trees and forests. So, they decided to create a special project in Wales.
In 1993, they bought 17 acres of land. They opened the park with nature walks and guided tours. About 30,000 people visited each year. The park grew more popular when a big slide opened in 2001. That year, over 60,000 people visited.
By 2016, GreenWood Park had over 100 employees. It attracted around 150,000 visitors every year. Stephen and Andrea Bristow retired in 2017. They sold the park to Continuum Attractions, a company that runs fun places.
Exciting Rides and Attractions
GreenWood Park has many exciting things to do. You can find adventure playgrounds and try longbow shooting. There are also fun slides and other rides.
The Green Dragon ride is very special. It is the world's first "people-powered" roller coaster. This means it moves only by the weight of the people riding it!
In 2015, the park received money from the Welsh Government. This money helped build a new water ride. It also helped install solar panels. These panels create 80% of the park's electricity. The solar panels were ready in September 2015. The new water ride, called SolarSplash, opened in March 2016.
Safety at GreenWood Park
In April 2011, GreenWood opened a new zip wire ride. It was called the SwampFlyer and was 145 meters long. After an incident on the ride, GreenWood worked to improve its safety rules. The park admitted that its health and safety checks needed to be better. This led to calls for more safety rules for zip wire rides everywhere. GreenWood continues to focus on keeping all visitors safe.
Awards and Recognition
GreenWood Park has won many awards. These awards are for its efforts to protect the environment. The park tries to use fewer resources. It also helps improve the local area and supports community projects.
In 2014, Trip Advisor ranked GreenWood Park as the 9th best theme park in the UK. In 2016, it moved up to 8th place. Stephen Bristow, who used to run the park, received an MBE. This award was given in 2009 for his work in tourism in North Wales.
