| Previously known as Holiday Resort Unity | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Brean Leisure Park | |
| Location | Holiday Resort Unity,Brean,Somerset, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°17′08″N3°00′35″W / 51.285668°N 3.009664°W /51.285668; -3.009664 |
| Opened | 1946 |
| Owner | Holiday Resort Unity |
| Operated by | Phil Booth[1] |
| 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 | www |
Brean Leisure Park is anamusement park in the coastal resort ofBrean, nearBurnham-on-Sea,Somerset, England. The park covers an area of 200 acres (80.9 ha).[2]
Brean Leisure Park is open from March to November every year. The park has also been a concert venue for artists such asDJ Casper,[3]Peter Andre,[4]Jason Donovan andThe Wurzels.Sky filmed an episode ofBrainiac: Science Abuse entitled "Funfair Physics" at the park. An episode ofBBC TV seriesCasualty was also filmed there in 2007 and again 2013. And an episode ofCBBC TV seriesThe Sparticle Mystery was filmed of the titled of the episode The FunFair. In 1997 there was location filming forCITV TV seriesRosie and Jim of the characters riding a Merry-go-Round.
In 1946 Albert and Marie House bought Unity Farm, and for the next 30 years operated it primarily as a dairy farm with a herd of 140 cows. They later supplied the local area with milk that was bottled on the farm.
As far back as 1946 camping was a popular past time and Fry's Chocolate Factory fromBristol pitched large tents on three fields on Unity Farm for a two-week period during the summer so therefore their employees could have a holiday by the seaside such as local areas beingBrean,Berrow andBurnham-on-sea. The way Holiday Resort Unity is at present age started from this very stage and it wasn't long before many groups of people including the local Boy's Brigade Troops were coming to Brean to venture and have holidays.
In 1948 planning permission was granted to change the use of some of the farm land to caravans and camping and 20 acres was converted prior for this use. However, during the 1950s and 1960s caravan and camping became a bigger part of Unity Farm (presently known as Holiday Resort Unity) and slowly the number ofcows,pigs andsheep decreased.
During the 1970s and the 1980s the beginnings of Brean Leisure Park were created along with the Mid Somerset Golf Centre which included Target Golf, driving range, pitch and putt and also an 8-hole golf course was opened alongside the other features. Throughout the years additional recreational activities were created which included a swimming pool, donkey derby's and open air markets.
Agreyhound racing track was opened on 3 July 1975.[5] The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body theNational Greyhound Racing Club) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.[6][7]
Brean Leisure Park as a whole was now attracting a lot of visitors fromSouth Wales,Bristol andBirmingham and in the late 1970s the House family bought out all of the other directors so that they could concentrate on developing leisure and holiday facilities.
The 8 hole golf course was expanded so that it could host 18 holes and Brean Golf Club was created. The course hosted a number of pro and celebrity amateur tournaments as well as becoming a members club and a facility for holiday guests.
In 1980 the complex known today as the 'Tavern' was opened and was previously known as the 'Farmers Tavern' providing a venue for evening family entertainment, functions and weddings. The complex also included an Amusement arcade and Fast Food outlets.
The greyhound track closed on 12 March 1984[8] and to improve the look of the park a significant landscaping project was undertaken across both Brean Leisure Park and Unity Farm (presently known as Holiday Resort Unity).
Further facilities were added during the 1990s including a river type ride at the Swimming Pool complex (presently known as Brean Splash) and also the addition of twoTen-Pin Bowling lanes at Unity Farm (Holiday Resort Unity) in 1994.
In 2000 one of the biggest projects that the resort took on since it had first opened its doors began, and this was the RJ's Entertainment complex which was a one million investment in the resort. The American-themed venue replaced Bert's bar and Chicks Roost with a venue with a capacity of approximately 700 people.
In 2008 it became the home ofSooty,Sweep andSoo, whenRichard Cadell bought the rights fromHIT Entertainment.
On 18 July 2014, the park was sold to a family from Barry Island in South Wales.
| # | Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bulldog Coaster (2022) | 2004 | Pinfari | A TL59 looping rollercoaster. Formerly Crazy Loop & located atPleasure Island Family Theme Park andFlamingo Land Resort.[9] Formerly known as "Shockwave". |
2 | Magic Mouse | 2007 | Reverchon Industries | A standard spinning wild mouse rollercoaster. It was known as "Crazy Mouse" until the start of the 2007 season.[10] |
3 | Astro Storm | 2011 | Zierer | An enclosed Four Man Bob rollercoaster. Opened 25 July 2011. Previously Operated atBlackpool Pleasure Beach as Space Invader II. |
4 | Caterpillar Coaster | 2001 | D.P.V. Rides | An MB28 children's caterpillar rollercoaster.[11] |
5 | Wild Water | 2001 | Reverchon Industries | A two-drop log flume ride. |
6 | Wipeout | 2002 | KMG | An afterburner ride. It was voted scariest ride at the park byBrainiac: Science Abuse. |
8 | Terror Castle | 2000 | Supercar | A ghost train, Ride system relocated fromFrontierland, Morecambe. |
9 | Ultimate | 2006 | Sobema | AMatterhorn (ride). Operated atBilling Aquadrome from 1986 to 2005. Previously known as "Hellraiser" |
10 | X-Factory | 2006 | KMG | Amiami ride [d], also includes water blasters. |
12 | Sizzler | 2000 | P.W.S. | A modernTwist (ride). |
13 | Waveswinger | 2008 | Fabbri Group | A waveswinger ride. |
14 | Disco Fever | 2005 | P.W.S. | AJump and Smile ride. |
15 | Jetspin | 2015 | Zamperla | ADisk'O ride. Previously known as "Disk'O". |
17 | Dodgems | 2003 | SBF (track) / Bertazzon (cars) | Previously used cars from C&S until the 2016 season. In 2017 the track were given a brand new set from Bertazzon. |
17 | Orbiter | 2022 | Tivoli MfG Ltd | An Orbiter ride. Purchased from UK Showman Edward Furborough. |
| Opened | Closed | Name | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2004 | "Sky Scraper" | Technical Park | A largeFerris Wheel. |
| 2003 | 2005 | "Superbowl" | Keith Emmett | A flipper/Super Bowl ride. Previously operated at Walton Pier. |
| 1990 | 2002 | "Ski Jump" | Maxwell | A flying coaster ride. |
| 1986 | 1999 | "Kansas City" | Hayes Fabrication | A traditional ghost trainDark ride. |
| 2001 | 2002 | "Crazy Frog" | Safeco | AJump and Smile ride. |
| 1995 | 2002 | "Pod Racer" | Reverchon Industries | AMatterhorn (ride). Moved to Ocean Beach, South Shields. |
| 1996 | 2002 | "Pure Adrenalin" | Fairmatt | The park's firstmiami ride [d]. |
| 2003 | 2004 | "Over Rider" | Nottingham UK | The park's secondmiami ride [d]. |
| 1984 | 1990 | "Paratrooper" | Modern Products | The park's firstParatrooper (ride). An upright version. |
| 1991 | 1994 | "Paratrooper" | Harry Steer | The park's secondParatrooper (ride). A lifting version. |
| 1980s | 1990s | "Rainbow" | HUSS Park Attractions | ARainbow (ride). |
| 1998 | 2001 | "Figure Of Eight" | Pinfari | A ST40 powered rollercoaster. Previously operated atBlackpool Pleasure Beach as "Tokaydo Express" from 1980 to 1997. |
| 2002 | 2006 | "Crazy Mouse" | Reverchon Industries | A standard spinning wild mouse rollercoaster. |
| 1988 | 1997 | "Wild Mouse" | Butlins | A hybrid wild mouse rollercoaster, built with parts from identical rollercoasters atHarbour Park at Littlehampton andFunland Hayling Island. This ride was owned and operated by David Pickstone who rode this ride when he was a kid. Previously operated atHarbour Park from 1962 to 1986. |
| 1990s | 1998 | "Skid" | Hayes Fabrication | A traditional swirl ride. Operated previously at Spanish City, Whitley Bay. Sold to Rainbow Park, Hunstanton. |
| 2013 | 2014 | "Speed Wave" | Mondial | ATop Scan ride that previously operated at Flamingo Park, Hastings between 2008 and 2012. |
| 1980s | 1999 | "Twist" | Ivan Bennett | The park's originalTwist (ride). Replaced by "Sizzler". |
| 1984 | 1984 | "Waltzer" | Lakin | The park's firstWaltzer ride. |
| 1985 | 2002 | "Waltzer" | The park's secondWaltzer ride. | |
| 2006 | 2006 | "Waltzer" | Maxwell | The park's thirdWaltzer ride. Previously operated atCodona's Amusement Park. |
| 2007 | 2014 | "Waltzer" | A.R.M. | The park's fourthWaltzer ride. Previously operated atFlamingo Land Resort between 1991 and 2006. |
| 1984 | 1985 | "Gallopers" | Allchin | The park's first set of gallopers. Previously operated at Allday's Amusements, Barmouth. |
| 1993 | 1998 | "Gallopers" | Savage | The park's second set of gallopers. Previously operated atWoburn Abbey. |
| 2005 | "Gallopers" | Mardi Gras | The park's third set of gallopers. | |
| 2005 | 2011 | "Xtreme" | KMG | The park's first Booster ride. Was sold after the 2011 season. Previous owners after Brean include Frederick Leraitra, France (October 2011), Bertie Holland (November 2013). The ride is owned by Perrin Matthews as of December 2016. |
| 2015 | 2015 | "Star Flyer" | AK Rides | A vertical swing ride. This was a guest ride for the 2015 season on loan from showman Daniel Coles. |
| 2005 | 2015 | "Frisbee" | Ivan Bennett | A trabant/satellite ride. The ride was sold to Irish showman Duane McFadden after the 2015 season. |
| 2018 | 2018 | "Air Maxx" | Technical Park | A Loop Fighter ride. Guest ride for the 2018 season on loan from the ride's owner Charles James. The ride would later be a guest attraction at Fantasy Island for the 2019 season before Charles sold the ride to the Mellors Group the same year. |
| 2012 | 2022 | "Xtreme" | KMG | The park's second booster ride. The tallest ride in the park. Replacing the almost identical model built in March 2005 which can be found under Perrin Matthews' ownership. This ride was removed before the 2023 season after being sold to UK showman Perrin Print. |
Brean Splash is a waterpark owned and managed by Holiday Resort Unity under the Brean Leisure Park branding. In 2014 Brean Splash made a £2 Million (GBP) investment on a brand new indoor splash aspect of the waterpark which has been operating since summer 2014.