Alton Towers has lined up a hellish host of ghosts and ghouls to terrorise visitors. CHERYL MULLIN was brave enough to pay a visit
THERE’S a chill setting in as we make our way through the night towards Alton Towers – and it’s not just the October weather. We’re about to experience the resort’s newest Halloween attraction, The Attic: Terror of the Towers, which the theme park boasts is its scariest yet.
Housed in the eaves of the park’s stately home, what follows literally has us screaming in terror as weave our way through dark corridors and sparsely lit rooms, voices whispering in our ears and spirits appearing from the inky blackness.
It’s a terrifying encounter, one that has us dashing for the exit screaming and laughing in equal measure.
The Attic is the latest horror experience in the resort’s award-winning Terror of the Towers maze trilogy.
It’s also the first time the eaves of the ruins have been used, adding an extra layer of excitement and intrigue as you await your invitation in to maze. Luckily there’s a pub just around the corner, where we enjoyed a stiff drink each to steady our nerves before our next encounter.
The Attic is not the only creepy new addition to Scarefest, Alton Towers’ annual celebration of all that is spooky and kooky.
Darkest Depths invites families on board The Mutiny, to join its crew as they brave treacherous waters, the lure of Sirens, and the terrifying Kraken.
It’s a thrilling journey, walls dripping with water, ghostly pirates prowling the decks, and the stench of rot in the air.
The set pieces are amazing, and I’d loved to have spent a little longer looking at all the hard work and craftsmanship that has gone in to creating them – but there was a creepy mermaid staring at me, and the soft voice of a phantom pirate invites me to get a move on, me hearty – I don’t need to be asked twice!
We hurry to the pub for another constitutional beverage – listening to the thrilled laughter of the next group of brave souls stepping aboard.
We spend the night in the Woodland Village, the cute, crooked-roofed cottages bathed in the soft glow of fairy-light strung trees, instantly washing away the shivers from our ghostly encounters.
A comfortable night’s sleep followed by a hearty breakfast and it was back to experience the festival in daylight.
This is the 12th year Alton Towers has staged its Scarefest, which sees the resort transform into a Halloween paradise.
With more than 400 pumpkins, 350 lights, gallons of fake blood, and more pustulouslooking boils than you can shake a stick at, those looking for a terrifyingly good time will not be disappointed.
Returning scare mazes for 2019 are Project 42, Sub Species, and Altonville Mine Tours – a recently re-opened mine at the Resort, which holds a deep dark secret.
And there are more family friendly frights too, the CBeebies Monster Ball in CBeebies Land sees dozens of youngsters donning their best fancy dress and joining their friends for dancing and games. And look out for the Alton Towers Ancestors, a fantastic flashmob which appears to entertain the crowds – and then vanishes.
The scare mazes open a little later in the afternoon, so there’s ample time to jump on a few rides – including the Wicker Man, which was every bit as thrilling as I’d hoped it would be. A personal favourite is Nemesis, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and we also jumped on Galactica, Rita and TH13TEEN. Then we ventured to the Alton Towers Dungeon, a new attraction.
Queuing along ‘Plague Street’ we met the poor wretches who had contracted the deadly disease, and the terrifyingly silent Plague Doctor, before being ushered into the dungeon’s depths for a 45-minute journey through some of the area’s darkest history, including a boat ride down the Black River.
Night was falling by the time we emerged, so we made our way back to the Wicker Man to experience the ride in darkness. Flames shooting from the horned beast at its heart, the smell of scorched wood in our nostrils, we boarded the cab for a final exhilarating run, again, and again.