Coney Beach has officially closed its gates after more than a century spent entertaining families, with a spectacular firework display on 4 October marking “the end of an era” for both local residents and regular visitors from around the world.

Much-loved Porthcawl landmark Coney Beach Amusement Park has officially closed its gates after more than a century of entertainment, as the Welsh Government moves ahead with plans to build 1,100 new homes on the seafront site.

A final fireworks display on 4 October marked “the end of an era” for both local residents and visitors, with thousands of families making their way to the south Wales resort to be present for the park’s final weekend.

“When it opened in 1918, George V was monarch and the country was in the final days of World War I,” reported the BBC. “Since then, it has been a fixture for many in south Wales, some who first visited as children and would go on to return with their own grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

“Now, with the summer season ending, the huge metal gates will be closed and padlocked for the last time after a final day of operating, followed by an after-dark firework display over the skies of Porthcawl to mark the end of the amusement park.”

According to local historians, Coney Beach was first founded to entertain American troops returning from the battlefields of Europe, and named after Coney Island in New York. 

The park then gained its popular reputation during Miners’ Fortnight, when families from communities inland would decamp to the seaside for the two week summer holiday.

Now, the park will be demolished to make way for the new housing development, as well as shops, cafes, restaurants, and leisure attractions, with work expected to start early next year.