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Hugely popular 1990s TV theme park now lies abandoned and 'haunted by past'

TV favourite Noel Edmonds iconic 1990s show Noel's House Party birthed the fame of Mr Blobby which led to his theme park Blobbyland - then it fell to ruin

[Mr Blobby's abandoned house]

Mr Blobby's abandoned house(Image: Noel Jenkins )

Noel Edmonds theme park at Crinkley Bottom, also dubbed 'Blobbyland', was once a whimsical haven for Mr Blobby fanatics - now it's a waste-land haunted by its colourful past.

Launched at Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, in 1994 in the heydey of Blobbymania, when the pink polka-dotted character featured in Noel Edmonds' House Party, Blobbyland opened.

The park was in motion for just five years before shutting and ultimately being flattened in 2014, when the hauntingly abandoned location became overrun with adventurers seeking to recapture their childhood family breaks.

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 beloved local destination in the 1990s featuring wildlife enclosures and an adventure park.

[Near to the courtyard, you could take a ride on the steam carousel]

Near to the courtyard, you could take a ride on the steam carousel(Image: Thom Winter-Gray)

The wildlife park, which launched in the 1960s, was home to various 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 Blobbys 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 (subsequently renamed Cuckooland) featured a children's playground, while the main street offered a peek at Crinkley Bottom with establishments including a bakery and the Blobby shop.

[A photo in the exact location, of how Crinkley Bottom High Street looked in its heyday]

A photo in the exact location, of how Crinkley Bottom High Street looked in its heyday(Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)

Two railways transported guests around the site and through the valley, showcasing stunning vistas of the countryside and free-roaming deer.

A plan of the Crinkley Bottom theme park displays a railway, an 'Animals of Farthing Wood' attraction alongside sea lion displays, a safari journey, 'fun village', a deer park and leopards.

There was also a 'TV's family favourites' attraction and a high street featuring the Blobby Shop. The main draw of the park for 90s children was, naturally, Mr Blobby's house.

Dunblobbin, painted vivid pink with yellow spots and a blue roof, was encircled by a white picket fence and boasted windowsills decorated with flourishing plastic flowers.

[The doorbell to Mr Blobby's house cried "Blobby, Blobby" when pressed]

The doorbell to Mr Blobby's house cried "Blobby, Blobby" when pressed(Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)

Beside its famous front door, where everyone queued for their photograph, sat a doorbell which visitors could press to hear the distinctive piercing shriek of 'Blobby blobby blobby!'

Mr Blobby and his wife were regularly spotted entertaining crowds on a temporary chequerboard plaza. Only a white barrier stopped youngsters from dashing into the courtyard, known as the "performance area".

After shows concluded, the family would pause to meet guests and take photographs. During busy performance periods, this section of Blobbyland became particularly packed.

Directly opposite the Crinkley Bottom Post Office sat the park's TV Favourites Water Ride. Perfect when weather conditions deteriorated, this covered water attraction showcased numerous animated figures produced by David Aldridge Animations, which also created the animations for Noddy in Toytown and the Postman Pat attraction at Longleat.

[Similar to the Blobby cutouts pictured here outside of the Post Office, the Blobby bench was a welcome sight in the park]

The Blobby bench was a welcome sight in the park(Image: Thom Winter-Gray)

The experience involved guests boarding yellow and blue 'TV Dreamboats' and slowly floating through various chambers where characters waited.

At the ride's beginning, you would 'smash' through an enormous television screen, with smoke and lighting effects bringing the attraction to life.

The Magic Roundabout chamber proved the most photographed part of the ride and displayed animated versions of all the programme's characters.

Once the park was abandoned Mr Blobbys house resembled more of a mouldy toadstool than a bright and welcoming home. Weeds and vines tangled themselves over its roof and the colours faded to pastel.

[A snap of Mr Blobby on the infamous balcony of the Liszt & Newt Pub]

A snap of Mr Blobby on the infamous balcony of the Liszt & Newt Pub(Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)

Inside the settees were floral, the fittings appeared as though they'd been sketched by Smart Arty from 90s children's programme 'Zzzap!' and even the Blobby family toilet matched Mr Blobby's pink and yellow spotted appearance.

There was also an odd television and turntable standing prominently in the sitting room.

In the kitchen there was cake and Blobby Flakes and, naturally, you witnessed a blobby hound on the floor and blobby fish in a tank - all sporting matching spotty pink and yellow.

In 1999, Warner Leisure bought the park and grounds and started removing the wildlife aspects. The park now comprises an adults-only hotel in and around Cricket House with most traces of Mr Blobby having been removed or demolished.

[Noddy & Big Ears wave to visitors aboard the Crinkley Bottom Steam Train]

Noddy & Big Ears wave to visitors aboard the Crinkley Bottom Steam Train(Image: Thom Winter-Gray/Dunblobbin)

When the theme park shut in the late 1990s, the structures remained standing until urban explorers stumbled upon them in 2009.

The explorers documented their remarkable discovery and the resulting photographs and footage became an internet sensation among nostalgic 90s children.

The fascination sparked by these images was so intense, crowds began descending on Cricket St Thomas in Somerset to break into the now-deserted Blobbyland.

The site owners tried to prevent trespassers - including sealing off an access tunnel - but ultimately the location was demolished in 2014.

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