I visited Puy du Fou to see what could be coming to the UK

Puy du Fou declared its interest last year in wanting a site to be built in Cherwell, north of Bicester, by the M40.

The theme park, located in Les Epesses, France, is a unique concept. There are no rides - instead, there is a multitude of live shows and villages which are set in historical time periods, all of them bringing French history to life. There are 20 shows in total, ranging from the Roman Era to the 20th century. 

It has won numerous prestigious awards, including Best Theme Park in the World. So when I was offered the chance to visit Puy du Fou, I couldn't say no. 

As the plane landed in France, I felt the excitement building. I had no idea what to expect in Puy du Fou, so I went in with an open mind. The park is approximately an hour away from Nantes airport and there are regular transfers from the airport.  

The park is open from April to November, meaning I visited at the end of the season. Despite this, one of the first things I noticed was that the park was extremely busy. It was half term in France, but the park is busy all year round, attracting more than two million people per year.

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Arriving at Puy du Fou was like stepping back in time. It truly felt like I had entered another dimension. 

The 250-acre park is surrounded by nature and endless trees. It took around 25 minutes to walk from the hotel to the other side of the park. While this meant the two day trip involved a lot of walking, it highlighted just how vast the park is and how much there is to experience.

Le Grand Carillon (Image: Newsquest) Everything about the atmosphere - the sounds, the environment, the smells - were nailed. The weather was misty during my visit which only added to the ambience.

I stayed at the Le Grand Siecle Hotel, which is one of the six themed hotels on site (with another being built for 2025). Upon entering the hotel I was met with chandeliers and the friendliest of staff, who were all dressed in costumes. The hotel certainly lived up to its description of a 17th-century royal palace.

Le Grand Siecle Hotel reception (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: Majority 'did not support' cycling trial in Bicester street

The food at the hotel and at the park was delicious. The hotel had a buffet-style restaurant, offering a variety of French food. 

All of the shows were in French, but visitors can access live translations through the park's app. The app also has a map of the park, a daily show schedule and information about the shows. This made the whole experience accessible and easy to navigate. 

The Puy du Fou app (Image: Charlotte Coles, Newsquest) The first show I went to, Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantomes, was a show featuring more than 330 birds of prey. Eagles, falcons, vultures, kites, owls and dozens of other birds of prey danced in the sky and flew just a few centimetres from the audience.

The show was breathtaking, and I remember thinking, 'there is no way the other shows will top this'.

Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantomes (Image: Charlotte Coles, Newsquest)But I was wrong. Every show I went to just seemed to get better and better, with not one show disappointing. The last show on my first day was Les Noces de Feu, an award-winning orchestrated ballet light show on a lake.

This was one of my favourite shows. The music and dancing was beautiful, and the dancers would rise from below the water and sink below it again, leaving my jaw wide open and wondering if the dancers were CGI (they weren't). 

Then there was perhaps the most impressive show of all, Le Signe du Triomphe, a re-enactment of the Circus Games set in a Gallo-Roman Stadium with 7,000 seats. Almost every seat was taken and the atmosphere was truly electric. 

Le Signe du Triomphe (Image: Newsquest) Animals featured in nearly all of the shows I watched - horses, geese, camels, pigs, to name a few - and they truly brought the shows to life. 

I was not expecting Puy du Fou to have such mind-blowing technology in every show, whether it be an indoor one or an outdoor one, and this was an aspect of the park that was unforgettable.

I could talk about the shows I watched - 11 in total, including two immersive shows - all day, because every single one blew me away. 

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It is worth noting that I had a 'Pass Emotion', which is a fast-track pass to all shows. This made the entire experience smooth and enabled me to turn up to all of the shows 10 minutes before they started, but still be guaranteed a seat. 

The restaurants I ate at on the park (Le Bistrot and La Mijoterie du Roy Henry) were historically themed. The highlight for me was the French Onion Soup at Le Bistrot - and that was just the starter.

Since I've been to Puy du Fou, I've had a number of people ask me whether I'd go back. And my answer every time, without hesitation, is yes. What I experienced during my two day trip was extraordinary and magical. 

The company has previously said it intends to open two new destinations in the world before 2030, with Cherwell remaining a preferred location. It is said the attraction could employ 700 people and create 2,000 new jobs at hotels, suppliers and other local businesses from its first year of opening in the UK. 

Puy du Fou is clearly a hit in France - it is the second largest theme park in the country behind Disneyland Paris.

I think it would be an incredible addition to the UK too. 

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