Tired of celebrating Halloween in the same way? Waiting for Trick-or-Treaters while watching Friday the 13th on the box? Why not put a little effort into Halloween this year and organise an alternative night out? There are many different ghoulish ways to have a great time. Here are spooky endeavours to get your pulse racing while the hairs stand up on the back of your neck…
Nothing quite captures the Halloween mood like a cemetery tour. Fans of Hammer Horror films or the Thriller music video should relish the powerful experience of visiting a place of rest at Halloween, creeping carefully in case some of the inhabitants are awake.
There are many great cemetery tours to embark on. Highgate Cemetery in London has a wonderful tour around magnificent Victorian tombs in the West cemetery, while the East cemetery, containing the tombs of Karl Marx and George Eliot, can be explored unguided. In the 1970s, a vampire was rumoured to be haunting the cemetery, so adding garlic to the day’s menu might be a wise move.
If you feel like a trip to Paris, the Pere Lachaise cemetery is an atmospheric 44 hectares of tombs that hold a host of famous deceased including Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Edith Piaf and the Lizard King Jim Morrison. Contact the Paris Council to arrange a guided tour. While you’re in Paris you should also visit the catacombs, which are the final resting place for the remains of more than 6 million dead.
Right at the other end of the entertainment spectrum, why not ensure a white knuckle Halloween by attending one of the dedicated theme park celebrations? Running from 15th-31st October until 9pm each night, Alton Towers’ spooky nights of chills and thrills includes the Carnival of Screams, which features a twisted funhouse full of evil clowns, a terrifying tour of dark haunted corridors in the Terror of the Towers, and of course the opportunity to scream on the high octane rides till late.
Thorpe Park also has great Fright Nights throughout October up to Halloween. Ride-wise there’s what has become known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of Stealth, Colossus and Nemesis Inferno, run in terror-inducing pitch black conditions. Spine tingling themed horror mazes named SAW Alive, Se7en, The Asylum and The Curse will have you quaking in your boots step by trembling step!
What about an eerie stay in a location notorious for its ghosts and ghouls? There are some magnificent haunted UK locales to spend a couple of sleepless nights in. Widely believed to be the most haunted city in Europe, if not the world, York has a multi-layered history of struggles and strife that resulted in many losing their lives within the city limits. Among those said to stalk the York streets and shambles is an entire Roman legion who march past the Minster, which is where the York Ghost Trail Walks leave at 7.30pm each night.
Oxford Castle has a long history of spectre sightings, which comes as no surprise given the huge numbers of people who died during the Black Assize of 1577 within the castle walls. Believed to be cursed, the creepiness of Oxford Castle is overpowering, particularly dur
ing the ghost festival held over 16 days throughout October.
Quaint and cosy as it seems in the kind light of day, the picturesque village of Pluckley in Kent is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as being the most haunted village in the UK. No fewer than 13 ghosts are said to haunt the village’s buildings, woods and St Nicholas Church graveyard. Book Halloween night in a B&B and go out and see what you find. Or what finds you!
This guest post has been provided on behalf of Show and Stay; providers of great value London Theatre Breaks
~Kelly
Recent Comments