A BELOVED theme park where wannabe-cowboys lived out their Wild West fantasy has got a new lease on life after being left to rot.
The Spirit Of The West theme park in St Columb Major, Cornwall, was closed in 2009 and redeveloped into Retallack Resort & Spa.
Photos of the abandoned Wild West town show the fake general store, Sheriff’s office, a jail, and a gallows set up for hangings, all falling apart.
The park was a popular destination in the early 2000s and recreated “the American frontier as it was, and how it will never be again”, Cornwall Live reported.
When the park was running actors would act out scenes from the Old West, including a gun fight, arresting outlaws, and delivering justice.
The audience watching the show stand inside the town and get a close look at a Hollywood-style Wild West.
Spirit of the West had two towns – the law-abiding Fort Smith and also the lawless Silver City.
In 2003 and 2004, it hosted the Tapestry Festival, lasting three days, featuring a variety of acts fitting in with the cowboy theme.
But the towns were shut down in 2009 and the site became overrun with long grass and the buildings became dilapidated.
Grass grew up through the wooden walls and empty cigarette trays sat inside the empty saloon.
A spokesperson said at the time: “The Spirit of the West theme park closed in 2009 and was a fantastic attraction in its day. The buildings are now structurally unsound and it’s an unsafe area.”
The site became popular with vandals and urban explorers.
In 2014, the abandoned town was designated for demolition with the area redeveloped into holiday lodges.
It was converted into Retallack, a five star self-catering holiday destination with luxury lodges, watersports, and spa facilities.
Retallack’s lodges, styled as barns, are available with two, three, four and six bedrooms, meaning they can sleep up to twelve people.
For instance, three-night stays at the barn with a roof terrace cost from £53pp a night when sharing with six (£954 per stay).
Alternatively, if you’d rather book a bigger barn, you could get three nights from £60pp a night for eight sharing (£1,445 per stay).
The luxurious roof terrace barns are a long way from the abandoned theme park and feature a light and airy vibe with big windows, an open-plan kitchen and outdoor space.
By Rob Pattinson
A GRANDAD has got the wildest frontier garden in the street.
Cowboy-crazy Stephen Smart has spent the past 25 years transforming his front and back gardens into a Wild West town.
The Dude Ranch includes a saloon, jailhouse, bank, haberdashery and undertakers.
Retired lorry driver Stephen, 65, who calls himself Dude, said: “I just had a fascination for the Wild West.
“It started with country music, then looking up the time period and then I started going to a few themed parties.
“I wanted somewhere to go basically, so I built the town.
“It started with little buildings, then the saloon and it just took off from there.”
The front of Stephen’s semi-detached home in Sheppey, Kent, has a graveyard, old wagon wheels, swinging saloon doors and a sign welcoming visitors.
