Peter Pan's Playground was an
amusement park in the coastal resort of
Worthing
Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Ho ...
,
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...
, England for young children under 11 years of age (children had to be accompanied by an adult)
History
Set in the former grounds of the
Beach House, Worthing
Beach House in Worthing, England is a Regency beach-side villa, built in 1820 to designs by John Rebecca. It was originally known as ''Marino Mansion''.
History
In the mid-nineteenth century, Sir Frederick Adair Roe, Chief Magistrate of the ...
, in 1951 Peter Pan's Playground was created with a miniature train, play barn, crazy cars, flying chairs, trampolines and a castle and a cafe. It was surrounded by a paddling pool, boating pool and tennis courts and the beach and promenade.
The admission fee included unlimited access to all the attractions within the park (excluding the crazy golf), all day long, including re-entry. They originally used hand stamps (and later on waterproof wristbands) upon leaving the park which could be used to re-enter on the same day without further charges allowing use of the neighbouring facilities such as the paddling pool.
In 2003 it was acquired by Clive Hagger who restored and updated the attraction with a ball pond, punch bags, a bouncy castle and a large inflatable slide.
During Christmas 1951 the site was flooded.
Closure
In 2009 the future began to look uncertain for the playground as plans were drawn up to put a new £17 million pound swimming pool complex on the site to replace the neighbouring Aqaurena pool This was deeply unpopular as no alternative location was being offered for the attraction and the replacement pool
Splashpoint was going to be smaller and cause the loss of the neighbouring paddling pool and boating lake.
Eventually the playground closed for the last time in September 2010.
References
External links
Early photoPeter Pan's Playground Photo during construction of the aquarina swimming poolPeter Pan's Playground Photo after the construction of the aquarina swimming pool
Defunct amusement parks in England
Worthing
Tourist attractions in West Sussex
1951 establishments in the United Kingdom
2010 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Amusement parks closed in 2010
Amusement parks opened in 1951
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