The History of Coney Beach Amusement Park : Porthcawl
The first permanent ride erected at Coney Beach was in 1918. This was the Figure 8 that had originally been brought to Swansea by the US government to entertain the American troops during the First World War. After the end of the war Charlie and Marshall Evans bought it and erected it in Porthcawl. There has been an Evans' family presence at the current site since this time.
Miners Fortnight
1918 celebrated the first workers holiday which was to become known as the miner's fortnight, the last week of July and the first week of August. Porthcawl was the ideal venue to set up the park as it sits directly on the seafront of Sandy Bay which is situated at the Eastern end of the coastline and was easily accessible for miners coming down from the Valleys.
To keep the US link, the park was named as a tribute to the famous New York amusement park on Coney Island.
The park is constructed on the town's old ballast tip and in the early days the entertainment included a bandstand on the town green nearby, an outdoor and indoor skating rink, three cinemas, a Pierrot stage and donkey and pony rides owned by Arthur Brinkley on the adjacent beach. To this day the donkeys are still there and always a popular attraction.
World War II
In September 1939 following the outbreak of World War 2, the park temporarily closed for several years as the 15th battalion of the Welsh Regiment was based at the site, later on, the Belgian Brigade's armoured car division were also billeted here until the unit left Porthcawl in 1942. Normal was service was resumed in April 1946 after the war came to an end.
Boxing and Darts
It was in the 1950s that the park experienced its boom in popularity – events such as boxing matches, firework displays and aerial acrobat shows organised by the Royal Air Force drew in crowds of hundreds from all over Wales. As transport links improved further following the extension of the M4 motorway into South Wales in the 1960s and 1970s Porthcawl was an ideal holiday place with the park being one of the town's main attractions. Further events, such as open air markets, circuses, and professional darts and snooker tournament were staged. By the late 1980s thousands of people visited the park from all over the world as more road and rail improvements in South Wales made easier access.
Unfortunately, since the popularity in overseas holidays the British seaside holiday has somewhat declined and with the closure of the railway line into Porthcawl the park is now run on a much smaller scale than it was in its heyday, but it is still very popular with holiday makers at the nearby Trecco Bay campsite and days visitors from all over the country.
The first permanent ride erected at Coney Beach was in 1918. This was the Figure 8 that had originally been brought to Swansea by the US government to entertain the American troops during the First World War. After the end of the war Charlie and Marshall Evans bought it and erected it in Porthcawl. There has been an Evans' family presence at the current site since this time.
Miners Fortnight
1918 celebrated the first workers holiday which was to become known as the miner's fortnight, the last week of July and the first week of August. Porthcawl was the ideal venue to set up the park as it sits directly on the seafront of Sandy Bay which is situated at the Eastern end of the coastline and was easily accessible for miners coming down from the Valleys.
To keep the US link, the park was named as a tribute to the famous New York amusement park on Coney Island.
The park is constructed on the town's old ballast tip and in the early days the entertainment included a bandstand on the town green nearby, an outdoor and indoor skating rink, three cinemas, a Pierrot stage and donkey and pony rides owned by Arthur Brinkley on the adjacent beach. To this day the donkeys are still there and always a popular attraction.
World War II
In September 1939 following the outbreak of World War 2, the park temporarily closed for several years as the 15th battalion of the Welsh Regiment was based at the site, later on, the Belgian Brigade's armoured car division were also billeted here until the unit left Porthcawl in 1942. Normal was service was resumed in April 1946 after the war came to an end.
Boxing and Darts
It was in the 1950s that the park experienced its boom in popularity – events such as boxing matches, firework displays and aerial acrobat shows organised by the Royal Air Force drew in crowds of hundreds from all over Wales. As transport links improved further following the extension of the M4 motorway into South Wales in the 1960s and 1970s Porthcawl was an ideal holiday place with the park being one of the town's main attractions. Further events, such as open air markets, circuses, and professional darts and snooker tournament were staged. By the late 1980s thousands of people visited the park from all over the world as more road and rail improvements in South Wales made easier access.
Unfortunately, since the popularity in overseas holidays the British seaside holiday has somewhat declined and with the closure of the railway line into Porthcawl the park is now run on a much smaller scale than it was in its heyday, but it is still very popular with holiday makers at the nearby Trecco Bay campsite and days visitors from all over the country.
