Mr Blobby on the infamous balcony of the Liszt & Newt Pub (Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)
Noel Edmonds’ theme park at Crinkley Bottom, also dubbed ‘Blobbyland’, was once a whimsical haven for Mr Blobby fanatics – now it’s a wasteland haunted by its colourful past.
Launched at Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, in 1994 in the heyday of Blobbymania, when the pink polka-dotted character featured in Noel Edmonds’ House Party, Blobbyland opened.
The park was in operation for just five years before closing and ultimately being demolished in 2014, when the hauntingly abandoned site became overrun with adventurers seeking to recapture their childhood family holidays.
Decades after Blobbyland first opened its doors, the expanse of land is now an abandoned ghost-town.
Blobbyland was built within the grounds of Cricket House, at Cricket St Thomas, which was already a cherished local destination in the 1990s featuring wildlife enclosures and an adventure park, reports the Daily Star.
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How Crinkley Bottom High Street looked in its heyday (Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)
The wildlife park, which launched in the 1960s, was home to numerous creatures including leopards, zebras, flamingos, elephants, and ring-tailed lemurs, as per Dunblobbin.
The attraction allowed guests to explore Mr Blobby’s home ‘Dunblobbin’, which gave fans a glimpse behind the scenes of Blobby’s life when he wasn’t bouncing about on Noel’s House Party.
Enthusiasts could see Mr, Mrs and Baby Blobby in live performances and pose for photographs with the main man himself. Blobbyland (later rechristened Cuckooland) boasted a children’s playground, whilst the main thoroughfare provided a glimpse into Crinkley Bottom with venues including a bakery and the Blobby shop.
Two railway lines ferried visitors around the grounds and through the valley, presenting magnificent views of the countryside and roaming deer.
The Blobby bench was a welcome sight in the park (Image: Thom Winter-Gray)
A map of the Crinkley Bottom theme park shows a railway, an ‘Animals of Farthing Wood’ attraction along with sea lion exhibitions, a safari expedition, ‘fun village’, a deer park and leopards.
There was additionally a ‘TV’s family favourites’ attraction and a high street housing the Blobby Shop. The principal attraction of the park for 90s youngsters was, unsurprisingly, Mr Blobby’s residence.
Dunblobbin, decorated in bright pink with yellow spots and a blue roof, was surrounded by a white picket fence and featured windowsills adorned with blooming plastic flowers.
Next to its famous front entrance, where everyone lined up for their picture, sat a doorbell which guests could ring to hear the characteristic piercing cry of ‘Blobby blobby blobby!’
Mr Blobby and his wife were frequently seen amusing audiences on a temporary chequerboard plaza. Only a white barrier prevented children from rushing into the courtyard, designated as the « performance area ».
Once shows finished, the family would stop to greet visitors and pose for photographs. During peak performance times, this portion of Blobbyland became especially crowded.
Directly across from the Crinkley Bottom Post Office was the park’s TV Favourites Water Ride. Ideal for when the weather took a turn, this indoor water feature displayed numerous animated figures crafted by David Aldridge Animations, the same company behind the animations for Noddy in Toytown and the Postman Pat attraction at Longleat.
The Crinkley Bottom Steam Train (Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)
The ride entailed guests climbing aboard yellow and blue ‘TV Dreamboats’ and leisurely drifting through various chambers where characters awaited.
At the start of the ride, you would ‘crash’ through a giant television screen, with smoke and lighting effects bringing the attraction to life.
The Magic Roundabout chamber was the most photographed part of the ride, showcasing animated versions of all the show’s characters.
Y could take a ride on the steam carousel (Image: Thom Winter-Gray)
Once the park was deserted, Mr Blobby’s house looked more like a mouldy mushroom than a vibrant and inviting residence. Weeds and vines twisted over its roof and the colours faded to pastel.
Inside, the sofas were adorned with floral patterns, the fixtures looked as if they’d been drawn by Smart Arty from the 90s children’s show ‘Zzzap!’ and even the Blobby family toilet mirrored Mr Blobby’s pink and yellow spotted look.
There was also a peculiar television and turntable prominently positioned in the living room.
Mr Blobby’s doorbell cried « Blobby, Blobby » (Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)
In the kitchen, there was cake and Blobby Flakes and, naturally, a blobby dog on the floor and blobby fish in a tank – all donning matching spotty pink and yellow.
In 1999, Warner Leisure purchased the park and grounds and began eliminating the wildlife elements. The park now consists of an adults-only hotel in and around Cricket House with most evidence of Mr Blobby having been removed or demolished.
When the theme park closed in the late 1990s, the structures remained intact until urban explorers came across them in 2009.
Mr Blobby’s abandoned house (Image: Noel Jenkins)
The explorers recorded their extraordinary discovery and the resulting photographs and footage became an internet phenomenon amongst nostalgic 90s children.
The intrigue generated by these images was so powerful, crowds started arriving at Cricket St Thomas in Somerset to break into the now-abandoned Blobbyland.
The site owners attempted to stop trespassers – including blocking off an access tunnel – but eventually the location was demolished in 2014.
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