PW Oct 09 P28-29:PW Oct 09 P28-29.qxd 28/09/2009 10:00 Page 28
Park Profile
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CAMELOT
Excalibur 2
The legend lives on
A short but successful season
has created a sense of renewed
optimism at the English theme S
ix months ago, when he should have been
celebrating the start of a new season, Roy Page was
sat in the manager’s office of an empty park. Two
park Camelot. Owen Ralph months earlier, the former boss of Prime Resorts (then
visits the park that avoided Camelot’s owner) had watched his company go into
execution liquidation after another stinking summer. Fortunately, a
knight in shining in armour was waiting in the wings,
ready to hand Page the key to the kingdom of Camelot
one more time.
The medieval theme park was started on the site of a
former equestrian centre in 1984 by local entrepreneur
John Rigby and, after a few years under the ownership of
Bass Leisure, bought back by its founder, who sold it
again soon after to Granada Entertainment. Located
outside the town of Chorley, about half an hour from
Blackpool, it peaked during the mid ‘90s with annual
attendances of around half-a-million.
Back in the Granada days, long before the likes of prosper as a result, yet it hasn’t quite worked out like that
Merlin Entertainments had spread their wings, Camelot and Camelot, a theme park based around an ancient
was part of a chain that also included the American legend, almost became history itself.
Adventure in Derbyshire and Granada Studios Tour in “We had some great years as Prime Resorts from 1999
Manchester (both now defunct). It was also one of the first to 2003,” confesses Page. “Then, around 2004/2005,
parks in the UK to boast an on-site accommodation in we started to see what I think was probably the early
the shape of Park Hall Hotel, developed by Rigby a few stages of the economic downturn. That coupled with a
years earlier. deteriation in the summer weather made it tough for us.”
The park and the hotel were included in a Operators of outdoor attractions in Northern Europe
management buyout in 1998, but soon after encountered shouldn’t be surprised if they see a little rain, but to give
problems: “It was kids in a sweet shop syndrome really,” Page his dues, the summers of 2006/7 were particularly
recalls Page. “They think it’s their business, it’s not; the grim.
banks own it. The management spent the money in the ”You never would have thought we would have a wet
wrong way, noting deliberate, it just didn’t work.” July and August. You take around 60% of your cash in
Page was doing some consultancy work at the time, those two months, and if they’re rained off you cannot
after a 30-year career with First Leisure, which used to run pick it up early or late season. I think for us the problems
Blackpool’s Tower, Winter Gardens and three amusement last year weren’t that significant, we didn’t need a lot of
piers, plus several other British piers. Asked by KPMG to cash to continue, but we did drop in August. When we
take a look at the park on behalf of its anxious backers went to our bank [HBOS – a high profile fixture of the
(Close Brothers), he ended up staying and formed Prime banking crisis] to see us through, they had just been
Resorts. taken over by Lloyds and there was a lot of indecision.
Aimed at families and young children, Camelot is split Inevitably, in February of this year, we were forced to put
over three levels and features a number of tried and the company into receivership.”
tested attractions spread across four lands, Knight’s
Realm, Knight’s Valley, Merlin’s Playland and Land of the
Jousting Knights
Brave. As they arrive, guests are greeted by King Arthur’s
Castle. The medieval theme lends itself easily to many of
the park’s rides and also underpins the live entertainment
offering, highlighted by the Avalon Jousting Knights.
Tough Times
Little over a decade ago, Camelot competed with four
other parks in the north west of England, but since the
closure of Frontierland in Morecambe and Pleasureland
in Southport (both Blackpool Pleasure Beach-owned
properties), now there is only Blackpool and Gulliver’s in
Roy Page of Knights Leisure Warrington. You’d expect the three remaining venues to
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OCTOBER 2009
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