Theme parks are usually all about fast rides and amusing sideshows. Sure, Flambards theme park definitely has lots of that. But there’s more to this famous park. Much more.
Interestingly for a theme park, the rides don’t take centre-stage at Flambards, which is located just outside Helston and not far from Porthleven. They share the stage equally with The Victorian Village and the Britain in the Blitz lifesize exhibitions. This is, in fact, the reason the attraction was once known as a ‘triple theme park’. It’s now known as one of Cornwall’s top attractions, thanks to these fun and fascinating elements that make for a cracking day out for the whole family.
The famous Flambards opened in 1976 as the Cornwall Aircraft Park, showcasing aircraft, models and exhibitions. It rapidly grew and started adding rides to the site. By 1990, it was renamed The Flambards Experience, with rides like the Dragon Coaster and the Canyon River Log Flume added into its arsenal. It was actually named Flambards after a TV series in 1979 which was based on novels by English author KM Peyton and was set in the years leading up to the First World War. That drama prompted the theme park owners to start building period rooms, shops, cobbled streets and homes which have become The Victorian Village over the years, complete with sights and smells from those days gone by. Finally, Britain in the Blitz was opened by Dame Vera Lynn in 1984. This, too, is a moving experience with the sound of bombs at every corner.
The Victorian Village and Britain in the Blitz are installations like no other in Cornwall but, of course, many visitors come to Flambards primarily for the awesome rides. Spin on the Hornet Rollercoaster. Journey through the dark on the Space Race. Get soaked on the Colorado Log Flume. Rise to the top of the SkyRaker before you plummet to the ground at an insane speed. And whizz high above the park on the South West’s largest thrill ride, the Sky-Force. The most recent ride is The Western Mine Train, taking you through the Wild West at a fairly relaxing pace. There’s much more besides, as well as plenty of rides for younger visitors in Ferdi’s Funland, like a pirate ship and a Jurassic Journey, but we reckon you should check out this unique theme park for yourself. A thrilling, moving and exhilarating experience awaits.