Events & Entertainment, Reviews | Posted on October 28th, 2024 | return to news
REVIEW Halloween at Moors Valley
The illuminated Halloween trail at Moors Valley near Ashley Heath is a delight in the dark.
By Luke Graham
My four-year-old daughter was doing so well, until a spooky voice from a tree caused her to turn in terror and run away screaming from the haunted forest in Moors Valley near Ashley Heath.
It was a shame, as she had completed 90 per cent of this fun illuminated Halloween trail and we were just about to meet Winnie the Witch at the end.
But it’s also a ringing endorsement of just how atmospheric and well-designed this experience is.
Moors Valley have set up this trail as a fun event aimed at families looking for a spooky experience this autumn. As well as some impressive lighting and sound effects, there are several static displays of creepy skeletons, giant spiders and spooky cloaked figures. My daughter found the cloaked figures and faces sprouting from the trees during the early section of the trail particularly spooky.
Human actors portraying a phantom highwayman, an undead undertaker and the earlier-mentioned witch add fun, quality interactive elements to the trail.
And fortunately for grown-ups, Moors Valley have also set up drinks and refreshment stalls at the beginning and half-way through the trail in case you need a break during your experience. We enjoyed sharing a chocolate-dipped apple when we stopped for a rest.
Sessions are available from 4pm to 9pm, so you can do the trail during the afternoon dusk if you’d rather avoid taking little ones on the trail before it gets too dark. Our time spot at 5pm on Friday 25 October was still quite bright. However, some of the illuminations are less effective in the daylight, so the first 10-15 minutes of walking felt a little underwhelming – when we walked past them again later in the dark, the lighting effects were much more impressive.
The event is pitched towards families, but some moments of the trail might be a bit too scary for very small children. I don’t think I’ve scarred my daughter for life with this Halloween trail – she said afterwards how much she liked it – but I suppose time will tell.
Halloween at Moors Valley is a fun, well-designed and atmospheric experience, with plenty to look at it and opportunities to take Halloween photos. Walking the trail lasted around an hour for us. The event runs until 3 November.
Tickets cost £16 for adults and £12 for children (age 16 and under), and £53 for families. Sessions available from 4pm to 9pm. To book, visit www.rg.live/events/halloween-at-moors-valley.
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