A FARM park that has been a hit with families for more than two decades will close at the end of this week.
Bodafon Farm Park will close its gates to customers for the final time on Sunday, September 24.
Owner of the farm Mark Roberts is semi-retiring. His lease with Mostyn Estates has also come to an end. He will be leaving the site in January.
The attraction, which is a working farm and is home to The Owls Trust as well as goats, deer and llama, is offering free entry to guests for its last month of opening. It is open this week from Wednesday - Sunday, 11am until 4pm.
The gift shop [and usual reception area to purchase tickets / food for animals] has already been stripped out and is standing empty.
Bodafon Farm Park, Bar and Restaurant has been running since 1999 on Bodafon Fields in Llandudno.
Speaking to the Pioneer earlier this year, Mark said: "I have enjoyed farming the place, I have enjoyed developing the farm park, I have been very lucky really. I have enjoyed every minute of it. It is not just me, but all the staff as well. It is a nice place to work and it is family oriented as well.
“I will be leaving the site in January. I’ve been here a long time so there is quite a lot to do to get the site spick and span.
“It is a very seasonal business. It is a summer business on the whole. If it wasn’t for the weddings and the functions, it would be very difficult to make it pay at all.”
Mark, who also runs the Penrhyn Arms in Penrhynside, said he hopes Bodafon Farm Park can remain as "some sort of family oriented business."
He said: "I don’t know if it will, but I think there is a good chance as it does lend itself for doing that.
"People are probably worrying a bit much, especially those that think when I go the bulldozers are going to move in.
"That is not the case."
Mark said the Penrhyn Arms had “really taken off ”.
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“To be quite honest, travelling between the two is getting quite difficult really,” he said.
“I’m not getting any younger.
“Also, the lease [For Bodafon Farm Park] had come to an end and there is not a lot we could do about it.
"I opened the farm park in 1999 and I went there in 1990.
“I will miss the farming aspect. I did really enjoy that. I will be 65 by the time I leave and it doesn’t get any easier. I’m looking forward to doing something a bit different and having a bit more time off possibly.”
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