Cornish theme park closes after 48 years

Flambards first opened in 1976 as Cornwall Aero Park

A Cornish theme park which opened 48 years ago is closing because of rising costs and falling visitor numbers.

Flambards theme park in Helston announced the closure "with immediate effect" on Monday.

In a statement on social media, the park's management thanked visitors and staff for their support, and added "Flambards has been a cherished destination for generations and it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell".

The park's indoor play centre, Ferdi’s Funland, would reopen later in November as a standalone attraction, the statement said.

The Hornet Rollercoaster was one of the most popular rides at Flambards

Managers said they reached the "difficult decision" after exhausting other options and "fully recognised the impact of this closure on the local community and the sense of loss that it may bring".

Problems sourcing parts for older rides and "extensive remedial work" needed on its Victorian village contributed to the decision, the statement said.

It said managers would look at options to "preserve and honour" its unique collection, which included vintage aircraft and a Victorian pharmacy which had been preserved as a time capsule for nearly 80 years.

Saddest day of the week

Local MP Andrew George said the "awful" news was the "saddest day of the week", a reference to the theme park's slogan.

"After almost half a century, Flambards has been a constant in our lives, for visitor activity, employment, community events and parties."

He said the owners had assured him that "redundancies will be kept to a minimum".

However, he said that assurance would not "lessen the blow for those who will lose their jobs".

'Deep personal memories'

Mike Thomas, Cornwall Councillor for Helston North, said he was "very sad indeed" at the closure.

"For Helston it’s a place full of memories, going back decades," he said.

"It's a place full of deep personal memories and associations.

"People will miss it, what else can I say, it'll be an absolute hole in the life of the town."

He said he expected the knock-on effect on tourism in the town to be significant, but it was a "time to reflect and be really proud of what Helston has hosted for so many years".

Thomas, a former teacher, said many of his former students as well as his own daughter had worked at the park, while his family held a season ticket.

He said it was important to preserve the "wonderful Victorian village" and if there was "no chance of a recovery" then the site had "the potential to unlock" future economic development and jobs.

The Victorian village was a long-standing part of Flambards

Miles Kenchington, Helston's mayor, said the closure was a "very sad day" for the town and he was "so sorry for those people who are going to be without a job coming up to Christmas".

He said it was "quite a worrying time" for tourism.

"We're not getting so many people coming in now and the impact is going to be significant for the whole of Cornwall.

"Tourism is a major part of our income as a county."

He said he used to visit the "iconic theme park" in the 1970s when it was called Cornwall Aero Park and took his children in the 1990s and 2000s.

"My grandson was there at the weekend with his parents and had his first - and now his last - log flume ride because he'd reached the minimum height," he added.

Managers hope to preserve some of the exhibits

Flambards opened in 1976 as Cornwall Aircraft Park and soon became the Aero Park before expanding during the 1970s and 1980s to add rides, a Britain in the Blitz exhibition and a Victorian village.

The park later rebranded as Flambards, named after a popular television period drama, to reflect its widened offering.

It had a number of outdoor rides and earlier this year announced several would not be operating for the season, including Thunderbolt, Sky Swinger, Sky Force and the Hornet Rollercoaster.

Its announcement follows the recent closure of another Cornish attraction Dairyland, and Dingles vintage fairground museum on the Devon and Cornwall border which closed for the final time last week.