Crinkley Bottom

Crinkley Bottom was the operating title used for a short-lived group of British theme-park attractions launched during the peak popularity of the BBC entertainment programme Noel's House Party and its comic character Mr Blobby. The name referred to the fictional village in which the television programme was set and was also popularly associated with the nickname “Blobbyland.” Rather than being a conventional company with a single permanent site, Crinkley Bottom functioned as a licensed and promoted leisure-park concept applied to several existing or proposed attractions in England. The concept was developed by television presenter Noel Edmonds and his production company, Unique, as an attempt to extend the programme's family-entertainment appeal into physical attractions. The first Crinkley Bottom park opened in 1994 at Cricket St Thomas in Somerset, using an existing wildlife park and the grounds of the Cricket House country estate. Its principal attraction was Dunblobbin, a Blobby-themed house, supported by areas inspired by other British children's television properties, including Noddy and The Animals of Farthing Wood. The site initially attracted visitors, and a water ride based on children's television themes was added in 1995. Plans were also made for a replica of The Great House television set. A second, more controversial project opened at Happy Mount Park in Morecambe, Lancashire, in July 1994 under the name Noel Edmonds' World of Crinkley Bottom. Lancaster City Council agreed to invest in the project, while Fuji and Mars provided outside sponsorship and British Rail promoted the nearby Bare Lane station with the humorous “Bare Crinkley Bottom” label. The attraction soon encountered complaints concerning facilities, licensing, visitor expectations, and its effects on the surrounding neighbourhood. A local opposition group reportedly reached about 6,000 members. After thirteen weeks, the Labour-controlled council withdrew its support, citing failure to meet promised attendance and income targets. The Morecambe closure developed into a major legal and political controversy known as “Blobbygate.” The council sued Edmonds and Unique, alleging misrepresentation and negligence. Unique countersued, arguing that the council had changed the contractual arrangements by retaining gate receipts. The court rejected the council's claims and awarded Edmonds £950,000 in damages. A subsequent report placed the cost to local taxpayers at approximately £2.6 million, making the episode one of the most prominent public-sector entertainment-project controversies of 1990s Britain. A third arrangement began in 1996 at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Unique licensed the Crinkley Bottom name and concept to the park, which converted its theatre into a castle. This arrangement lasted approximately one year and ended after a change of ownership. At Cricket St Thomas, Edmonds withdrew his financial backing in 1996, and most of the branded attractions were removed in 1997. The site was subsequently associated with the Noddy character before the wider area closed. Crinkley Bottom therefore became less a continuing theme-park business than a cultural memory of 1990s British television merchandising and location-based entertainment. The abandoned Dunblobbin structure later attracted urban explorers and fans. Vandalism and illegal raves eventually led to its demolition in 2014. A polystyrene toilet from the attraction was removed in 2013 and placed in an art gallery. The Morecambe story was revisited in a 2016 BBC One segment featuring Nick Hewer on The One Show. All known parks operating under the name ultimately closed, were dismantled, or were rebranded.

Crinkley Bottom emerged from the early-1990s success of Noel's House Party, a BBC family-entertainment programme presented by Noel Edmonds. The programme used the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom as its setting and featured Mr Blobby, a brightly coloured comic character who became one of the decade's best-known British television creations. Edmonds and his production company, Unique, sought to commercialise this popularity through physical attractions, presenting the parks as an extension of television entertainment rather than as conventional zoological or amusement facilities. The first park opened in 1994 at Cricket St Thomas in Somerset. It occupied an existing wildlife-park and country-estate setting and added attractions built around Mr Blobby and other children's television properties. Dunblobbin, a Blobby-themed house, became the site's signature feature. The park initially performed strongly enough for a themed water ride to open in 1995, and there were plans for a recreation of The Great House set from Noel's House Party. Edmonds withdrew his backing in 1996, however, and most Crinkley Bottom attractions were removed in 1997. The location later used Noddy as a principal character before the wider site closed. Dunblobbin remained abandoned for years, becoming a destination for urban explorers, until it was demolished in 2014. The second and most politically significant project was at Happy Mount Park in Morecambe. Lancaster City Council approved a deal involving a £300,000 investment, while Fuji and Mars sponsored the attraction. It opened in July 1994 as Noel Edmonds' World of Crinkley Bottom. The project quickly became contentious. Residents complained about the proposed liquor licence and possible disorder, visitors criticised the facilities, and an opposition movement reportedly attracted around 6,000 people. In November, the council withdrew its support after concluding that the attraction was not meeting anticipated attendance and revenue targets. The park had operated for only thirteen weeks. The closure led to litigation. Lancaster City Council alleged that Edmonds and Unique had used misleading projections and acted negligently. Unique responded that the council had altered the contractual arrangement by retaining all gate receipts. The court found against the council's claims and awarded Edmonds £950,000 in damages. The wider handling of the project was later associated with an estimated £2.6 million cost to local taxpayers. The affair acquired the popular name “Blobbygate” and became an example of the risks involved when public authorities backed entertainment projects based on short-lived media popularity. A third site was created in 1996 when Unique licensed Crinkley Bottom to Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft. The park transformed its theatre into a castle for the attraction, but the arrangement lasted only about a year because of a change in ownership. With all three sites closed, dismantled, or rebranded, Crinkley Bottom ceased to operate as a continuing leisure brand. Its later significance has been largely nostalgic and cultural, reflecting the commercial reach of 1990s British television characters and the brief attempt to convert a broadcast setting into a network of theme-park experiences.

• 2014

  Dunblobbin is demolished

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  The abandoned Blobby-themed building at Cricket St Thomas was demolished after years of vandalism and illegal activity.

• 1997

  Cricket St Thomas attractions are removed

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  Most branded attractions were removed and references to Mr Blobby were eliminated during the site's rebranding.

• 1996

  Edmonds withdraws backing from Cricket St Thomas

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  Edmonds ended his financial backing, although contractual rights initially left many attractions in place.

• 1996

  Pleasurewood Hills licensing arrangement begins

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  Unique licensed a Crinkley Bottom attraction at the Lowestoft amusement park.

• 1995

  Themed water ride opens at Cricket St Thomas

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  A water ride based on children's television themes was added to the Somerset park.

• 1994

  First Crinkley Bottom park opens at Cricket St Thomas

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  The initial site opened in Somerset as a television-themed attraction built around Mr Blobby, Dunblobbin, and other children's entertainment properties.

• 1994

  Morecambe attraction launches

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  Noel Edmonds' World of Crinkley Bottom opened at Happy Mount Park in Morecambe in July.

• 1994

  Morecambe park closes after thirteen weeks

  [1]Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org

  The local authority withdrew support after visitor and revenue expectations were not achieved.

A family-oriented television leisure concept designed to turn the fictional world of Noel's House Party and the popularity of Mr Blobby into physical attractions and themed entertainment.

• Theme-park network · 1994

  Crinkley Bottom theme parks

  A series of British leisure attractions using the fictional Crinkley Bottom setting from Noel's House Party. The sites combined character theming, rides, family activities, and television references, with each location adapting the concept to an existing park or estate rather than following a single standardised format.

• Character attraction · 1994

  Dunblobbin

  The principal Mr Blobby attraction at Cricket St Thomas was a themed house known as Dunblobbin. It became the most recognisable physical remnant of the Crinkley Bottom concept and later gained attention as an abandoned structure before its demolition.

• Family leisure park · 1994

  Noel Edmonds' World of Crinkley Bottom

  The Morecambe installation at Happy Mount Park was promoted as a large-scale television leisure attraction, supported by municipal investment and commercial sponsors. Its short operating period and subsequent legal dispute made it the most controversial Crinkley Bottom project.

• Licensed attraction · 1996

  Pleasurewood Hills Crinkley Bottom attraction

  A one-year licensed installation at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, where the park converted its theatre into a castle as part of the Crinkley Bottom presentation.

• 1994

  Blobbygate

  The closure of the Morecambe attraction triggered a dispute between Lancaster City Council and Noel Edmonds' company Unique. The council alleged misrepresentation and negligence, while Unique challenged the council's handling of the contract. The court dismissed the council's claims and awarded Edmonds £950,000 in damages; later reporting associated the episode with an approximately £2.6 million cost to local taxpayers.

  Source

Read more

• 1994Britain's first TV leisure park

  United Kingdom

  The Cricket St Thomas site was promoted as Britain's first television leisure park, linking the Crinkley Bottom name to the popularity of Noel's House Party and Mr Blobby.

  Outcome. The park initially attracted visitors but the branded attractions were later removed and the site was rebranded.

  Source
• 1994Bare Crinkley Bottom railway promotion

  United Kingdom

  British Rail promoted the nearby Bare Lane station with the humorous temporary association “Bare Crinkley Bottom” to support access to the Morecambe attraction.

  Outcome. The promotion ended with the closure of the Morecambe park after thirteen weeks.

  Source

• 1996

  Edmonds withdraws backing from Cricket St ThomasStrategy

  Background

  The original Somerset park had launched successfully but the wider Crinkley Bottom concept was not sustained across its sites.

  Action taken

  Edmonds withdrew financial backing, after which most attractions were eventually removed and the site was rebranded.

  Aftermath

  The Crinkley Bottom identity disappeared from the site by 1997, while the Dunblobbin structure remained abandoned until its 2014 demolition.

  Source

• 1994

  Lancaster City Council withdraws support for Morecambe parkOther

  Background

  The Morecambe attraction faced visitor complaints, local opposition, and concerns that attendance and income targets were not being met.

  Action taken

  The council ended its support and the park closed after thirteen weeks.

  Aftermath

  The decision led to litigation and the dispute later became known as Blobbygate.

  Damages awarded to Noel Edmonds. £950,000 (Following the Morecambe litigation)

  Source

1. 1Crinkley Bottomen.wikipedia.org