Date set for Gulliver's Valley opening

The big day was delayed because of the pandemic, and extra safety measures have been put in place.

These include temperature checks on arrival, mandatory advanced booking, contactless entry, social distancing and pre-ordering food.

Managing director Julie Dalton said “The last few months have been tough to say the least.

“When we started work on the park, we didn’t ever expect to be faced with a global pandemic, but I am proud to say our team has risen to the challenge and worked hard to enable us to open.

“Of course, the health and wellbeing of our visitors and our employees really is top priority and so we have made a number of changes so that everyone feels comfortable and reassured while enjoying a fun and enjoyable day out.”

The park, aimed at two to 13-year-olds, has dozens of attractions and rides plus accommodation options.

Rotherham Council leader Cllr Chris Read said the park would be a catalyst for economic growth.

He added: “The site at Pit House West for too long stood vacant, so it is brilliant to see the fabulous Gulliver’s Valley project realised in bricks and mortar, jobs and opportunities.

“It is an exciting development which will attract many thousands of visitors to our borough and is an exemplar of the kind of business that we would want our area to be known for.

“A number of local suppliers have been used to help transform the former pit site and more than 1,000 Yorkshire trees have been planted there.”

Due to social distancing requirements, some areas of the park - including indoor soft play - will open at a later date.