How different former American Adventure theme park is now
NOISE AND EXCITEMENT REPLACED BY A TRANQUIL HOUSING ESTATE
DOORS to the former American Adventure site have been swung open as showhomes are revealed by developers for the first time.
The once-popular Americanstyled theme park in Derbyshire was visited by thousands of thrill-seekers over the years but closed in 2007 despite a petition calling for its reopening by Newhall man Declan Salmon.
He spent two years collecting 10,859 signatures on his online petition and wanted Derbyshire County Council to find a new leisure operator to run the site. However, despite the petition’s success, work started in 2018 to build hundreds of new homes there.
Now housebuilder Harron Homes is inviting househunters to Shipley Lakeside, in Shipley, Heanor, that was formerly the home of the theme park’s Missile rollercoaster, Silver City and the Runaway Train.
Rather than thrills and spills, estate agents marketing the property tell of peaceful, natural surroundings by Shipley Lake and plenty of walks and nature trails in the Derbyshire countryside. In the past, the area next to Shipley Park has been a colliery, an open cast mine, parkland and then two theme parks. Firstly the land was used for Britannia Park between 1985 and 1987 when it was remodelled more successfully as the American Adventure.
Now, as work progresses on the housing development at the site, the two show homes have opened to the general public, designed by Midlands-based interior designers Open Door Interiors. They promise homes with a hotel, rather than an American Adventure-style hoedown, feel, Derbyshirelive reports.
And it’s not the Oregon trail, but the Nutbrook trail is on the doorstep of these new homes, offering a 10-mile traffic-free route that takes you between Shipley Country Park, Long Eaton and Heanor.
Open Door Interiors managing director Tracy Baker described the elegant style of the two show homes and said: “We genuinely love working with Harron Homes because its product has that ‘hotel’ feel and bespoke finish. This provides a beautiful template for us to decorate the tasteful and refined interiors we pride ourselves on.
“The larger of the two show homes is the three-bedroom Warkworth. It’s a build ideally suited to families looking for a tasteful, elegant design.
“The colour palette is selected with that audience in mind. Delicate tones of beige meet lighter ivory shades, balanced finely against French blue for a subtle contrast. It’s perfect for that tasteful hotel feel.
“The smaller four-bedroom Windsor is ideal for families looking for a bright, spacious design with a workfrom-home appeal. Our base colour palette of white, silver grey and mauve helps compose suave, comfortable spaces with a clear, open and peaceful feel to them.
“The high-specification kitchen is the focal point of this home. Harron Homes incorporates glass in its homes, which gives a natural feeling of light and spaciousness. The use of a bay window lends a wonderful brightness to the kitchen that’s perfect for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. We were then able to supplement this with beautiful wood-panelling, balancing the boutique finish of the overall style with a touch of the traditional.”
Shipley Lakeside benefits from a range of local superstores nearby should you need to do a spot of shopping, plus a shopping park for those weekends dedicated to some retail therapy.
Prospective buyers can visit the Warkworth and Windsor show homes at Shipley Lakeside 10.30am to 5.30pm Thursday to Monday.
The development is located in Pit Lane, Lakeside, Shipley, DE75 7JL.