Complete Guide for visiting Flambards in Cornwall

AD – we were gifted entrance to the park in return for this blog post Complete Guide for visiting Flambards in Cornwall. All words and opinions are my own.

Complete Guide for visiting Flambards in Cornwall. When planning day trips while on a staycation in Cornwall. A theme park is probably not at the top of your list. It’s not on ours either. But when we travel with the boys we try to give them the option of picking activities too. Normally we have a predominately adult day where we visit places the adults want to go such as the Minack Theatre or Burgh Island. And then we have a day where we predominantly do something the kids want. We find this works for us. We also try and do things we all enjoy such as eating in a castle. But when they get the chance they will always pick a theme park!  And since there is a theme park in Cornwall we thought why not give it a go?

My favourite thing about Flambards is that it is a theme park we can enjoy together as a family. Because of the age difference between the boys and so the height difference. We have visited theme parks before where we end up splitting up. Which although fun still, it is not exactly the family day out we had planned. What I really like about Flambards is that we did not have to do that. This made for a much more enjoyable day out for all of us. 

Complete Guide for visiting Flambards in Cornwall

Where is Flambards Cornwall? 

Flambards is located in Helston in Cornwall. Helston is close to the Lizard Peninsula and the very west of Cornwall. There are several beaches close by which you could combine with a visit. Including Paara Sands (6 miles) and Porthleven (2.18 miles).  It is well located for a number of the larger resorts only being 25 minutes drive from Falmouth, 30 minutes from St Ives and 45 minutes from Newquay. There is even a Premier Inn which is less than 1km away in Helston. Which makes is a good option for an extra night or if you are travelling to another part of the county.

How to get to Flambards

We drove, there is a large free carpark located right in front of the park. It is signposted from the main road but you can use postcode TR13 0QA.  When we arrived at the opening time and they were packing the cars in. But there was no long car queue, unlike some other theme parks we have visited.  It is also accessible by bus, being on the First Devon and Cornwall Bus routes with regular buses from Penzance and Redruth.

How much is entry to Flambards?

The answer is it depends on the day you visit. During peak season when all the rides are open (these are pink days) it is £19.95 for an adult or £17.95 if you buy online.  Children under 95cm are free and those over but up to age 15 are £14.95 or £13.45 if brought online. Currently, due to the pandemic, all tickets must be booked in advance on their website.  What I really like about their ticket options is that you are able to use your ticket again if you validate it before leaving. So that you can return for up to six consecutive days after! I have never known a park do this before and it makes it fantastic value. Plus it also appears to have an impact on when the park is at its busiest (see top tips below). 

Flambards also have non-ride days. These are blue on their calendar. You really do need to check this if you are planning a trip outside of peak times. As it could be that only the inside attractions are open. This does mean that prices are greatly reduced,  £9.95 for adults (£8.96 if brought online) and children over 95cm up to the age of 15 are £6.95 (£6.26). Do not let this stop you as their inside attractions are really good (see below). If you are looking for something to do inside when the weather isn’t great then this makes a great option even out of season. 

Flambards rides for children 110cm and under

When we visited Harry was just on 110cm and had turned five that month. He is a little bit of a daredevil like his older brother. So I do appreciate that some of the rides we went on may not suit all.  As we arrived early we decided to get on the bigger rides first before the rush.  The way the park is laid out means that you effectively walk into this area from the entrance. His three favourite rides were:

Our first stop was the Skyraker which is the one you will see in many of the adverts. Harry needed to be accompanied by an adult due to his height, but Charlie could ride alone. The ride gives beautiful views of the Cornish countryside and although it races up and down. The drop itself is not that bad and Harry loved it. So they went on it several times before the queues got busy. 

The next stop was the one rollercoaster that Flambards has. Both mine are a little coaster mad, so we went on this several times during our visit.  I would head there first if we were to visit again as it is a very popular ride.  The Hornet Rollercoaster is a family rollercoaster and more than suitable for children over 90cm. As Harry is under 120cm he needs to be accompanied by an adult. Again another ride we went on more than once. 

His third choice was the Sky Swinger. This is also extremely popular. I am not sure I have been on one of these rides that are so high! He absolutely loved is laughing all the way around. Over 105cm to 130cm you need to be with an adult. So Harry and I shared a double seat.  It was a lot of fun! 

These were his favourite three but there are also a lot of other rides in the park, twenty-two in total. We definitely did not manage all of them in a day. Along with all the inside attractions to keep you busy.

Flambards rides for children 140cm and under

Charlie was measuring 140cm when we visited. He loved going on all the rides that Harry did, as mentioned above. But there are also two other rides that fit the daredevil tag. These are extremely popular and we did not notice the queues reducing for these as the day went on. Unlike some of the other rides. 

The first is Sky Force, which is like a giant pendulum. It swings up to 25 metres above the ground and rotates at the same time! Definitely not for the faint-hearted! The other ride is Thunderbolt and I must admit not one for me! Suspended in the air you are twisted around and upside down at the same time. Lots of fun to be had but only if you have a strong stomach!

Flambards Victorian Village

This is my absolute favourite attraction in the park. I have never experienced anything like it before and it was a welcome break from the hot sun and noise of the theme park. The Victorian village is just as it sounds. You walk around a museum of houses and shops which are recreated as they would have been in the Victorian era. All authentically done with such detail. You really do feel as though you are transported back in time. 

I did wonder what the boys would think but they found it fascinating. Asking lots of questions and really soaking it all up. There was no demand to go back to the rides which I think really demonstrates how engrossed they were in it. At the end, there is a chemist shop which the park actually brought in its entirety. Found locked away and sold including all the cobwebs! Such a great exhibit to a bygone era.

Flambards Inside Attractions 

As well as the Victorian Village there are a number of other inside attractions. The village itself leads into the Blitz. Charlie who is very interested in the World Wars and loves anything military enjoyed walk through the bunkers and seeing everyday life. There is even a house that has been hit by a bomb. You walk through smelling smoke and hearing all the noise of war. This was not ideal for Harry who was not keen (he is not good with loud noises) but Charlie was really moved by it. 

The Blitz exhibit makes its way into the war gallery. There is a specific area designated to the Falklands which I found interesting being a young child when this was going on. It is not something we were ever taught at school. There is also a lot of memorabilia from war heroes and veterans. Reading peoples individual stories across all the wars we have been part of is very moving. I think it is important we continue to teach our children about the sacrifices that were made. 

There is also a life-size simulation of Concorde. Having not been on a plane now for many months the boys loved seeing the cockpit and learning about the Concorde. My own father worked for British Airways during its reign and my husband’s grandfather even flew on one. Which really brought the simulation alive for the boys. 

What age is Flambards most suited for?

Flambards really is a family theme park. There is so much to do for families all the way from primary school children through until mid-teens. We did not see the large groups of teenagers as we have seen in some of the larger parks near London.  The boys are aged 5 and 8 and it worked really well for us.  With plenty to keep them amused and there was so much that we did not see. We arrived when the park opened and left at 4.30pm when the rides started to close.  It really is a good value family day out, especially if you make use of the return tickets. 

Where is there to eat at Flambards?

There are several snack kiosks across the park selling drinks and ice creams predominately next to the large rides. This does help to keep them happy in the queues! We noticed that there were grassy areas for picnics and some picnic tables dotted around. We ate in the cafe which had cornish pasties and sausage rolls pasties. With drinks for four it came to £26 which is on par with other places we have visited.  Yet very reasonable for a theme park. There is also a burger bar which is located in Ferdi’s Funland. 

Our Top Tips when visiting Flambards

• Make a plan before you go. I was surprised that we didn’t manage to get around the whole theme park in a day. 
• To help you with this check their website as it is easy to see all the rides suitable for a particular height,  by clicking on the rides & attractions you get a little slider which you can alter to your child height. 
• As mentioned we did not get everything done in a day. If you are visiting while on holiday and are not intending to return. I would still get your tickets validated. As it could prove a useful inside attraction if the good old British weather does not go to plan. Or if you find yourself with a free day later in your holiday. 
• Arrive when it opens and go on the big rides first. We noticed that the park did get quieter towards the afternoon but many of the thrill rides maintained their long queues.  So I would visit these as early as possible when we found the queues to be much fewer. 
• Head to the inside attractions after lunch. It gives you a chance to let your lunch go down and we found them to be quiet. Meaning we could see everything easily and could take our time around the exhibits. 
• At the moment you need to prebook your tickets. But when things come out of lockdown completely then still book your tickets online as you save 10% off of the price. 

Have you been to Flambards? I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope you have enjoyed reading our blog post – Complete Guide for visiting Flambards in Cornwall.

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