HAUNTED MAGAZINE: We Dare to Scare because we Care...

SCARE IN THE COMMUNITY, for you never know what might be on your doorstep...
Here's just a small selection, thanks to VisitEngland for the heads up
Best for… ghouls of all ages
The Isle of FRIGHT Ghost Trail, October
The Isle of Fright Ghost Trail features audio ghost stories from creepy locations across the Isle of Wight, downloaded free of charge from the beginning of October on Google Play or via the App Store. Visitors will be able to follow a self-guided tour of 13 “cold spots” presented by paranormal expert, Marc Tuckey. The app also allows its users to take photographs and use a special “ghost photo bombing” function to create some especially haunting images, as well as hidden content, which remains a top secret for a few more weeks – but is guaranteed to send a huge shiver down your spine! www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/inspiration/isle-of-fright-ghost-trail


New spine-tingling attractions at Warwick Castle, 22 - 31 October
Six new spine-tingling attractions will turn Warwick Castle into The Haunted Castle between 22 and 31 October. By day, there are fun and friendly scares for all the family including the Horrible Histories Maze; the chance to conjure up spells in The Witches Tower; hear enchanted tales in the Haunted Hollows garden; watch a ferocious Halloween fire joust and, new for 2016, prepare for disturbing encounters in Tormented. As night envelops the Castle, the Central Courtyard falls silent for the arrival of the plague doctor, brought in to treat the grotesque, plague-ridden souls in Outbreak 1349, a knuckle-clenching live-actor experience.  Down in the Dungeons, over 10’s can uncover the darkest and bloodiest aspects of the Castle’s history. During half 
term, Warwick Castle will open until 9pm - when the ghastly ghouls of the Castle’s turbulent 1,100 years of history return to life. Advance day tickets cost from £17.60 per person. Entry after 5pm costs £14 per person. The Knight’s Village lodges are also open for their first Halloween for guests who want to stay after dark. www.warwick-castle.com 
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters head to Shropshire’s Blists Hill, 29 October
Blists Hill Victorian Town at Shropshire’s Ironbridge Gorge has a twist on its annual Halloween fright night this year with the arrival of cult characters from the Ghostbusters movies. The Town’s Ghostly Gaslight evening will see the streets, shops and houses transformed into eerie places filled with ghosts, ghouls and monsters, as well as a fireworks and pyrotechnics show. Visitors are encouraged to dress up in their scariest costume and watch out for the Marshmallow Man, as the massive 31ft high inflatable paranormal monster will be looming over the darkened streets. Other highlights will include the replica of the iconic Ghostbusters Miller Meteor Cadillac car and resident Ghostbusters roaming the streets. The event takes place between 6-9pm. Tickets from £9.95 per adult and £6.75 for children aged 3-15. Contact Ironbridge Visitor Information Centre on 01952 433 424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk

Wicked takes over Ripley’s for Halloween, London, 22 - 30 October
'Ripley's Wicked Halloween Week' is an exclusive collaboration incorporating the already-weird and wonderful artefacts of Ripley's with the mighty West End show Wicked, which is currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary in London. Ripley's London will become the emerald of the West End as SFX lighting will illuminate No.1 Piccadilly witch-green. The library gallery will exhibit costumes and props worn and used by some of the biggest names from the hit show. Face painters will be on hand to turn little apprentices into characters from the show, such as the iconic Elphaba and Glinda. Modellers will craft balloons into broomsticks, witch's hats and other Wicked themed items for the kids to take home. Treats aplenty await those attempting the interactive Wicked Explorer Trail with pick 'n' mix rewards and a chance to win tickets to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. The first 1,000 Ripley’s Halloween tickets are being sold for just £10 each, saving up to 64% compared to the door price. Bookings can be made online at www.ripleyslondon.com. All activities are included in the ticket.

Creepy canal walks across the country, 30 - 31 October
Reputedly playing host to hundreds of ghosts, with bats and frogs aplenty, creepy tunnels, spooky locks and misty towpaths, Britain’s 200-year old canal network provides the perfect backdrop for a haunting Halloween. On 30 and 31 October, Staffordshire’s Stourport Basin is hosting guided walks led by the ghost of the great canal engineer James Brindley, who will take visitors on a night-time tour to learn of the development of the basins and how the town of Stourport has grown since his death. Book in advance by emailing info@stourportown.co.uk. Alternatively, hear about a Killing at Kidsgrove, where the Trent & Mersey Canal’s Harecastle Tunnel is said to be home to a shrieking boggart – the ghost of Kit Crewbucket who was murdered and his headless corpse was dumped in the canal.  Hire the seven-berth ‘Vale’ from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Great Haywood over Halloween for £591 for a short break (28-31 October). Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, first pet, buoyancy aids, bed linen and towels.  Fuel is extra – a £50 deposit is taken for a short break. Visit www.drifters.co.uk for more information.

Best for… little monsters

Haunted Gallery sleepover, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
29 - 30 October

Pack up the kids’ sleeping bags for a Halloween sleepover with a difference at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Pay a visit to the on-site haunted house, interact with the paintings brought to life by mystery guests, and create a vintage-inspired Halloween print to take home. Bed down for the night amongst the Old Masters and wake up to breakfast and a classic film. All children (suitable for 7-13 year olds) must be accompanied by an adult. Breakfast and snack provided. £50 per person. www.dulwichpicturegallery.com
See the world’s smallest Pumpkin patch at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort, 17 October - 5 November
Frankie the Friendly Monster, Lord Vampyre and Orange Brick are back at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort for the Resort's hugely popular Brick or Treat season, this year featuring the World's smallest LEGO® pumpkin patch in Miniland. Plus on weekends throughout the event and for the first time ever on Fireworks Night itself - a fireworks spectacular themed around the exciting NEW LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ will be exploding over the night skies on 15, 22, 23, 28, 29 October and 5 November.  All activities are included in the Resort entry price; tickets are priced from £37 when booked at least 7 days in advance online. *The LEGOLAND Windsor Resort is closed from 1-4 November 2016. legoland.co.uk/en/Book/ or call 0845 373 2640
A Roald Dahl-inspired Halloween at Tatton Park, Cheshire, 22 - 30 October
Roald Dahl’s stories were certainly not short of gruesome characters and this Halloween, the Roald Dahl’s Tremendous Adventures attraction at Tatton Park will celebrate some of his most wicked. Visitors are invited to the Spooktacular Halloween Party at The Witches’ Hotel Magnificent where they can find all the ingredients for Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker. In the depths of the Hall is the creepy witches sweet shop laboratory, whilst the gardens will be home to pumpkins and some sinister witch watching opportunities. Witch spotters will be on hand to help and there’ll be spooky storytelling in the eerie barn. A Totally Tatton Twit ticket costs £27.50 per family (£11 per adult and £5.50 per child).www.tattonpark.org.uk/events_at_tatton_park/halloween-half-term.aspx
The Hex Factor, Nunnington Hall, Yorkshire, 29 - 30 October
National Trust properties across the country will embrace the spirit of Halloween with a host of scary trails, pumpkin carving and story-telling for families. Follow the haunted trail at Northumberland’s Nunnington Hall to discover its eerie past, join a ghoulish ghost tour and take part in the ‘Hex Factor’ parade, where the scariest costumes will win the crown. Events are free but standard entry of £7.50 per adult and £3.75 per child applies. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall or call 01439 748283
The enchantment of Chester Zoo, 22 - 31 October
This Halloween, Chester Zoo is under a spell from an evil sorcerer trying to steal away all of the super powers of the nocturnal animals. In conjunction with Wild Rumpus, The Enchantment of Chester Zoo is set to take visitors into a breath taking world, immersing them in incredible stories and moments of wonder as they follow the Wise Old Owl to try and break the spell, with a host of performers, musicians, aerialists, acrobats and animals to help with the magic. The event is free with standard entry but must be booked in advance. Advance tickets from £20.00 per adult and £16.86 per child. www.chesterzoo.org/whats-happening/the-enchantment

Broomstick making, Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire, 29 October
Get ready for Halloween by making your very own broomstick at Dunstable Downs. Get your broomstick license and head out for a race across the beautiful hills. The session costs £7.50 per broomstick. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstable-downs-and-whipsnade-estate or call 01582 500920.


Wand whittling and Witches and Wizard’s training camp, Cliveden, Buckinghamshire, 22 - 30 October
Little witches and wizards will be bewitched at Cliveden House this Halloween, with the chance to recreate their very own Hogwarts. Take a spellbinding journey into the woods to collect natural things for a magical potion and choose a wizarding wand. Wild wizard and witch outfits are encouraged to frighten off any evil spirits. Suitable for children aged 4-11 (must be accompanied by an adult). The event costs £3 per child. Standard entry £10.00 per adult and £5.00 per child. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden/ or call 01628605069

Best for… adults-only fright-fest
Bad Halloween Tour – Murder Most Foul, Brighton, 31 October
Not for under 16’s or those of a nervous disposition, this after dark Halloween murder tour will uncover a fresh batch of grisly murders, ghosts and ghastly goings on on the streets of Brighton. Discover the stories of the first Brighton Trunk Murder in ‘Lovers Lane’; the sensational confession of Constance Kent, one of the most infamous child murders of Victorian times and the Deadly Dr Warder, who poisoned his wife on prescription. The tour meets at 7.30pm at the Brighton Clock Tower and costs £5.00 per person. www.meetup.com/guided-walks-in-BrightonandSussex/events/233770218/


‘Scream Park’ Farmaggedon, Ormskirk, Lancashire
1 - 31 October (selected dates)

This interactive horror experience is themed with roaming zombies and creatures of the night. Visit three horror houses, Psychosis, Meat Locker and Terror of the Farm, plus blast some zombies in a unique paintball experience. Farmaggedon is open from 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm on October 1, 6-9, 12-16, 19-23 and 26-31. Under 15’s must be accompanied by an adult. Prices start at £16. www.visitlancashire.com  www.farmaggedon.co.uk/farm_wp/ 

Spooky Tours at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, 19 - 31 October
Back with a brand new route for 2016, this October sees the return of popular behind-the-scenes torch lit tours of England’s greatest Elizabethan house. Burghley's Spooky Tours will offer a chance to journey by flickering torchlight into the creepy cellars to explore the forbidding outbuildings and centuries-old cloisters, unearthing Burghley's secret history. The special tours, led by local ghostly expert Martin Tempest, take visitors around some of the less visited areas of Burghley, on the edge of the Georgian stone town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. The 50 minute trails take place at 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm daily (excluding Sundays) and are designed to be scary, but fun – and although not recommended for children under 11, Burghley leave it up to parents to decide! Places are limited and usually sell-out fast, so the advice is to book early.) Tickets cost £15 per person. www.burghley.co.uk/events/spooky-tours/

Stay overnight in Bodmin jail, with a resident medium on hand, Cornwall, various dates including 31 October
Looming over the town of Bodmin in north Cornwall, this imposing jail was built by Napoleonic prisoners of war in 1779. It held more than 150 prisoners and witnessed 55 executions, with the last hanging taking place in 1909. The creepy corridors and claustrophobic cells are said to be haunted by former prisoners protesting their innocence and rattling keys. Explore after dark with the jail's resident medium and hunt for ghosts in the spookiest spots. The tour begins at 8.45pm with a three-course meal in the former Governor's Hall. Specific workshops then run through the night before returning guests to the land of the living at 5am. Halloween weekend dates (29, 30, 31 October) are currently available for £90 per person. www.bodminjail.org

Screamfest 2016, National Forest Adventure Farm, Staffordshire, 13 - 31 October
The Adventure Farm is bringing Screamfest back to the forest and they are warning visitors to be prepared for the most terrifying encounter yet. Find out whether life after death exists at Night Bringer, enter a chilling maze to discover the nightmare of a terrifying childhood and join the soul seekers crew as they investigate an abandoned hotel. This event is recommended for children aged 12 and over, although under 12s are able to enter the Adventure Farm if they are with a consenting adult. Tickets cost £14.00 plus 50p booking fee when booked in advance. www.screamfest.co.uk/
Bram Stoker’s Illuminated Abbey, North Yorkshire, 26 - 29 October
See Bram Stoker's inspiration for Dracula’s castle in a new light as Whitby Abbey is bathed in dramatic illuminations. As visitors explore its Gothic splendour, costumed characters will introduce the darker side of the past with tales of grave robbing and witch trials, with a live performance of Dracula to complete the visit. The event takes place between 18.00-21.30 and costs £9 adult (10% discount for online bookings before 21 October). www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

Visit the site of England's most famous witch trial, Lancashire
30 October

An hour north of Manchester, Pendle Hill is the site of the most famous witch trial in English history. In 1612, 10 women were hung for crimes including witchcraft and murder and the site is now said to be so haunted that locals refuse to walk on the hill after dark. Join a guided tour to hear about the area's terrifying history and leave plenty of time to explore the surrounding villages and soak up the stunning Lancashire scenery. The 3-hour Pendle Witch Country Tour takes place on 30 October and costs £16.00 per person. www.pendlewitchexperience.com

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