Halloween at Nevendon Manor 2016
We had previously visited Nevendon manner over the last couple of years and thought we knew what to expect. This year was certainly in line with the continuous improvements made year on year to this haunt. For those who have not visited to date, Nevendon is a continuous flow haunt through a number of named scenes/mazes. This is not the only haunt performed in this manner but is certainly one of the more immersive.
The haunt starts in the doll’s house which was not only very hard to navigate because of the density of the props but also one of the best mazes we have entered for outright “jumpy scares”. The costumes used at Nevendon are all made onsite and we can honestly say we looked at a few dolls and continued to look for the actors not expecting the dolls to be some of the actual actors as they were so still and well designed. The maze also has a claustrophobic feel due to a new addition to the centre of the maze which the actors used to its full potential The actors in this scene were manly children and they make for a very realistic feel to the maze.
The next phase of the haunt was an old people’s home which had been allowed to deteriorate and appeared rundown. This was both a funny and terrifying experience. The story told in the first room was very entertaining but the scene you are then subjected to is nothing short of eye opening. There were around 3-4 actors in the second part and they all looked realistic this seen was very detailed as a room setting and extremely well-acted. There was not one person in our group who did not jump during that stage, it had the desired effect.
On exiting the old people scene we were met by a grave yard and more actors routing us through the grounds. There is an old well (this is real) in the grounds and seeing a child rise up from it with long black hair was once more a very intense experience. The course then winds through different scenes and that is one of the pluses of this event, the acting. Even when the actors are not scareing you there is a mini scene being acted in front of you and the event has enough actors they can creep up on you at the same time which some events would struggle with.
The hillbilly section was nice to see this was performed in typical Hillbilly style but the best part once more is that you had an acted scene between the Hillbilly’s and then the direct attack of other scattered staff on our group. One really great feature was the long chainsaw run being chased by one of the hillbilly’s which tuned quickly into two hillbillies and extended the chase unexpectedly.
The haunt then moves into another what can only be described as converted barn to where a seemingly dead man is changed to the wall. The door is closed and Dr Frankenstein takes you through his creation. Without giving too much away this was another very intense scene and again there was not a person in our group that did not simply run for their lives.
The next stage was a little strange as it routed into a wooded area where insects were lurking and ready to creep up and chase us, this was less jumpy but not something we have seen previously.
Finally there was a great stage which was a typical Zombie run to the “end of the line”. These typically either go well and everyone runs while being chased or the group slowly moves through the zombies. Due to a very enthusiastic marine we were are hounded through the Zombie run at full speed and the number of zombies jumping out from just about everywhere is impressive.
In total there were 70 actors in this maze 50 adults and 20 children and it was an absolute scream!.The car parking is limited so the event is well run and there are no queues to get in and each group is passed through the event in a well managed way. This allows groups to stay at an enjoyable level (8-10) and remain staggered so there is no problem with groups catching each other up.
Overall this was a fantastic attraction and one worth adding to your list of must do visits next year.
The haunt starts in the doll’s house which was not only very hard to navigate because of the density of the props but also one of the best mazes we have entered for outright “jumpy scares”. The costumes used at Nevendon are all made onsite and we can honestly say we looked at a few dolls and continued to look for the actors not expecting the dolls to be some of the actual actors as they were so still and well designed. The maze also has a claustrophobic feel due to a new addition to the centre of the maze which the actors used to its full potential The actors in this scene were manly children and they make for a very realistic feel to the maze.
The next phase of the haunt was an old people’s home which had been allowed to deteriorate and appeared rundown. This was both a funny and terrifying experience. The story told in the first room was very entertaining but the scene you are then subjected to is nothing short of eye opening. There were around 3-4 actors in the second part and they all looked realistic this seen was very detailed as a room setting and extremely well-acted. There was not one person in our group who did not jump during that stage, it had the desired effect.
On exiting the old people scene we were met by a grave yard and more actors routing us through the grounds. There is an old well (this is real) in the grounds and seeing a child rise up from it with long black hair was once more a very intense experience. The course then winds through different scenes and that is one of the pluses of this event, the acting. Even when the actors are not scareing you there is a mini scene being acted in front of you and the event has enough actors they can creep up on you at the same time which some events would struggle with.
The hillbilly section was nice to see this was performed in typical Hillbilly style but the best part once more is that you had an acted scene between the Hillbilly’s and then the direct attack of other scattered staff on our group. One really great feature was the long chainsaw run being chased by one of the hillbilly’s which tuned quickly into two hillbillies and extended the chase unexpectedly.
The haunt then moves into another what can only be described as converted barn to where a seemingly dead man is changed to the wall. The door is closed and Dr Frankenstein takes you through his creation. Without giving too much away this was another very intense scene and again there was not a person in our group that did not simply run for their lives.
The next stage was a little strange as it routed into a wooded area where insects were lurking and ready to creep up and chase us, this was less jumpy but not something we have seen previously.
Finally there was a great stage which was a typical Zombie run to the “end of the line”. These typically either go well and everyone runs while being chased or the group slowly moves through the zombies. Due to a very enthusiastic marine we were are hounded through the Zombie run at full speed and the number of zombies jumping out from just about everywhere is impressive.
In total there were 70 actors in this maze 50 adults and 20 children and it was an absolute scream!.The car parking is limited so the event is well run and there are no queues to get in and each group is passed through the event in a well managed way. This allows groups to stay at an enjoyable level (8-10) and remain staggered so there is no problem with groups catching each other up.
Overall this was a fantastic attraction and one worth adding to your list of must do visits next year.
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Terrifying - The make-up, costumes and effects were superb with incredible detail. I thought each section was so unique and different with the terrifying voodoo human sacrifice being my favourite. There is never enough voodoo in scare tours I think- even though I find it heart-stopping! Likewise the half-human half-insect hybrids and the old people's home are not scenes that you would usually see on a scare tour and they were utterly sickening and shocking- in a good way! Very talented people run this event. Fantastic.