Legoland Windsor evacuated and closed after burst water main cuts supply

Legoland Windsor evacuated visitors and closed down attractions at lunchtime on Sunday after a burst water main cut off the Berkshire theme park's water supply.

Ride operators stopped queues and instructed guests to exit through the gates after public address announcements confirmed the resort had lost running water. The outage followed a burst pipe near St Leonards Reservoir, prompting utility engineers to shut down the main to prevent severe flooding in surrounding neighbourhoods.

Why Legoland Windsor closed

Thames Water said it was forced to isolate the damaged water main to contain the leak. While shutting off the valve prevented widespread structural flooding, it immediately severed supplies running into the theme park and left park management unable to keep basic amenities operational.

Outside the park perimeter, some nearby householders suffered flooded gardens as water escaped from the fractured pipe before technicians could isolate the section. The utility firm apologised to both local residents and affected resort guests, stating that supplies to the wider network were subsequently restored while repair crews remained on site working on the pipe itself.

Park operator Merlin Entertainments said it decided to shut the resort for the rest of the day while Thames Water worked to stabilise local infrastructure. In a statement, the company said it was coordinating with local partners and offered an apology to visitors whose trips were abruptly cut short.

How visitors were evacuated

The shutdown caught families in the middle of queues and mid-meal across the park grounds. Staff made tannoy announcements across the site directing guests towards the exits, explaining that the utility failure left the resort unable to function.

One visitor, who had driven five hours with her children from Cornwall and stayed overnight at the resort's hotel, told the BBC that staff stopped their queue just as they reached the front of a ride. "All of a sudden, everything stopped moving," she said. Staff then asked everyone to leave the queue line before announcements explained the loss of water across the local area.

For families who had travelled long distances or booked weekend packages, the sudden lunchtime evacuation meant heading straight home only hours into their day.

What happens next

Thames Water confirmed that repairs were under way on Sunday evening and promised an official update on the work on Monday.

The BBC reported that Legoland Windsor expects to reopen on Monday morning under its standard operating hours, provided local water pressure remains stable overnight. The theme park has not yet detailed its compensation policy for ticket holders caught in Sunday's evacuation.