Most theme parks draw in visitors with huge rollercoasters, or detailed areas based on famous movies. Le Puy du Fou, however, likes to do things a little differently.
As France’s second most popular theme park (no one stands a chance against Disneyland), Puy du Fou is a well-established and well-loved brand. Instead of 50-foot drops it offers punters reenactments of historical events, spread across various time periods inside of purpose designed sets. You can visit the Roman gladiators, medieval villages or vikings, all within walking distance of each other. It’s pretty unique, and it’s coming to the UK.
It’s been a couple of years since Puy du Fou first announced that it would be crossing the Channel, but projects this huge move slowly. We’ve had dribs and drabs of info since then, but now we’ve got a better idea of what the park might look like and where it will be, after planning permission was submitted to the council on Monday (September 1).
According to CEO Olivier Strebelle, the delay was necessary for ‘extensive consultation’ to take place, which involved ‘six in-person events and over 250 individual meetings’ with the local community and stakeholders.
The huge development is planned for Cherwell in Oxfordshire, just outside of Bicester, and will cost a whopping £600 million to create. It will span four different periods, each represented by a separate village, and will be able to put on 13 different shows in total. The plans include three on-site hotels, each also themed to a different historical era, and a conference centre.
That’s not all though: new parks, gardens, lakes, and meadows would also be built in respect of the greenery that surrounds the Cherwell site, as Strebelle says that ‘environment and sustainability’ is ‘at the heart’ of the project.
The park aims to attract 550,000 visitors in its first year, a number which would rise until its phased opening is complete. Nearly 2,000 jobs could be created in total, which could contribute £500m to the local economy.
Strebelle stressed that ‘We have wanted to come to the UK for many years.
‘Britain has such a rich, colourful and exciting history, and the site we have chosen near Bicester is the ideal location to create a world-class destination that will bring that history to life.’
Theme park thrills on Time Out
You don’t need to wait for Puy du Fou to open to get your theme park fix. Check out Time Out’s list of the very best theme parks in the UK. In other news, Alton Towers has unveiled two exciting new attractions. Plus, keep up with the latest on Universal’s new UK theme park, or the brand new water park coming to also Bicester.
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