Forget pumpkin carving or dreary trick-or-treating down your road this Hallowe’en – because with our specially selected list of ghoulish getaways, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of fiendish fun… whilst enjoying a cheeky holiday at the same time!
Though it is Hallowe’en, we’ve decided to be good, by not only putting together a list of eight of the creepiest events to be found in the UK… but by pairing each event with the perfect place to rest your heads, within an hour’s drive away. Call it our Hallowe’en treat to you!
We begin our terrifying tour with Margate Dreamland’s Screamland.The iconic nostalgic seaside funfair transforms after dark to become Kent’s biggest and best fright festival, featuring six scare mazes and sideshows to torment your souls! Why not treat yourselves to tickets forScreamland’s Totally Wired Hallowe’en Party, too – featuring plenty of ghoulishly great live music.
Pair your Margate trip with a themed overnight stay in Penny Rope Bed Chamber,a quirky prison-styled bedchamber for two in the cellar of a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse. Complete with bunk beds, window bars and evenan old-fashioned lock and key, this is an experience never to be forgotten!
Film buffs will adore Sunset Cinema Club’s Hallowe’en screenings of Shaun of the Dead and The Rocky Horror Show… set to take place amongst 20,000 mannequins!
Mannakin’s DollyWood is the only mannequin graveyard in the UK, and for one night only, you can huddle under a blanket in this fascinating Lincolnshire countryside location and let yourselves get carried away with creepiness! Those feeling brave enough can attempt the Awful Hallowe’en Walk, too – through an improvised art gallery strewn with eerie mannequins.
Grab your sleeping bags and camp out under the stars, or if you prefer something a little more stylish, a stay in the Mannakin Cabinitself, sleeping up to three guests, just can’t be beaten. This cool and seriously quirky cabin is gorgeously homely, packed with cosy creature comforts, and regularly occupied by film industry crews for that added touch of glamour!
Get ready for spine-chiling moments at Northumberland’s Chillingham Castle,a 12th century stronghold where women and children were burned to deathby William Wallace in 1298. As the proud winner of architectural awardsand its park designed by Capability Brown, by day wonderful views are assured…
…while by night, you can experience a spooky ghost tourquite unlike any other. With eight well-recorded executions, heads thrust on spikes and bodies hung, drawn and quartered back in the mists of time, there are plenty of blood-soaked stories to enthral as you tourthe castle grounds and imagine lives lived and horribly lost.
Continue the castle-style elegance without all the executions, with a stay at the fairytale Middleton Hall Folly,found on the estate of Northumberland’s Middleton Hall. Spanning three storeys and with its original Victorian clock still in tact, you’ll findplenty of cosy charm and character that beautifully fuses old with new.
Fancy stoking the fires of Hell this Hallowe’en? In that case, High Wycombe’s Hellfire Caves are your dream (or should we say nightmare) destination!
Steeped in history and regularly used for filming, the underground cavesare at their spooky best in October, strewn with ravaged souls, eerie lighting and macabre music. Try to survive being stalked by savage creatures as you navigate the long, dark passages, with family fun including face painting and fancy dress competitions also held by day.
Those who feel the need for screams can indulge themselves in the Caves’ three special Fright Nights… spooky family-friendly events suitable for brave 10 year olds and upwards!
With so much terror to immerse yourselves in at the Hellfire Caves, you’re bound to want to retreat somewhere cosy once it’s all over! North Hill Farm,an eclectic selection of glamping accommodation in Chorleywood, is justthat place. Choose your refreshing holiday home from an innovative Treehouse, a secluded Shepherd’s Hut, a rustic tipi, or a buzz-worthy Beehive!
Aberdeenshire’s Crathes Castleis a magical turreted tower, set within walled gardens that feature yewhedges originally planted in 1702. Mazes and trails allow you to drink in the beauty of your wildlife-strewn surroundings, yet if you decide toventure into a ghastly ghost tour, be prepared to be scared, too!
Not recommended for young children, the tour takes place inside the castle, with plenty of winding stairways hiding spooky secrets just dying to be shared. Children will prefer the Stoats Creepy Crawl, held in the grounds of the estate and featuring plenty of Hallowe’en fun, including an outdoor cinema screening of Casper the Friendly Ghost. Dress in your scariest costume and you could even win a prize, too!
When the fun is over, two hand-crafted, eco-friendly tin boltholes await you at Boutique Farm Bothies,both set in spectacular rolling farmland near Drumblade. Choose from Barley Bothy for two, or The Sheep Shed for four, both quirkily decorated, cosily furnished and ideal for luxuriating in pastoral peace.
Experience ghoulish glitz at Somerset’s famous Wookey Hole Caves, with ‘Voodoo VaudEvil‘- a scary spook-tacular featuring circus acts, dark magic and horror stories, all set to an enthralling soundscape. Beware: you may just die laughing!
If glitzy shows aren’t quite your thing, you can still enjoy the Caves’ Hallowe’en Party – complete with the Witch of Wookey Hole as a guest! There will be plenty of additional family attractions to enjoy, too.
Continue the enchanted theme with a stay at legend-infused Middlewick Glamping,where your cosy resting choice is from an E-den cabin or a charming shepherd’s hut, perfectly nestled by ancient oak trees and showcasing truly breathtaking views towards Glastonbury Tor and the Somerset Levels.
A much-loved Suffolk family home for over 500 years, Kentwell Hall is a stately home infused with plenty of welcoming warmth. Until Scaresville mysteriously appears within its grounds each autumn, that is!
Winner of a prestigious ‘Screamie’ award, the haunted village of Scaresville is one of the UK’s top Hallowe’en attractions, and for younger children there’s Kentwell’s School of Sorcery. Enjoy embarking on the Quest for the Firestones, as you enjoy magic shows, watch mysterious owls and ravens, and dance in the magic circle!
Chat excitedly about all the Hallowe’en wonders of Kentwell Hall with your stay at The Windmill Suffolk,a glorious, towering adults-only retreat for four that overlooks idyllic countryside. Originally dating back to 1891, the building has been exquisitely restored for contemporary luxury.
Do you dare scale the heights of Terror Mountain?Situated just outside Aberystwyth and set in an authentic Victorian silver mine, you’ll discover a selection of eerie entertainment, plus four adults-only live-action attractions that will make you feel as though you’re starring in a real-life horror film!
Calm down from all that terror with stay on simply rural One Cat Farm,just three miles from the sandy beaches of Cardigan Bay and showcasing life in the Great Outdoors at its absolute greatest. With four stunning,practical and cosy camping dens to choose from, you’ll have everything you need to disconnect from everyday life, surrounded by the very best of nature.
So dust off that witch’s broom and prepare yourselves for travel this Hallowe’en…because with such a curiously creepy array of events and breaks on offer, that last week in October need never be boring again!
If you’re looking for a non-spooky break at any time of the year, we’ve got plenty for you to choose from. Simply select from our range of cool categories, and you’re (quite literally) away!
