Screamfest Burton
The National Forest Adventure Farm have been hosting a Halloween event for several years with a trailer/corn field attraction and a haunted house called The Barn. The event has generally been under the radar for most scare enthusiasts and they knew they needed to do something to raise their profile. It was during ScareCON earlier this year that the park owners met Andrew Porter from AJP Designs and a deal was soon struck to bring a new attraction to the event. And what an attraction it is! If this doesn't put Screamfest on the scare map then nothing will!
The National Forest Adventure Farm is a typical farm park with ample parking, a children's play area, cafe etc. Wandering around the event area were a number of zombie characters that alongside the music and sound effects created a spooky atmosphere throughout. The event is home to 3 very different attractions:
The Barn
The Barn is an indoor walkthrough Haunted house that has been built in one of the park's large barns,. Utilising a well themed entrance facade, the attraction is long and detailed with a range of different rooms and effects. Once inside there were a number of actors ready to scare us and we all had a number of good jumps along the way. One things that was noticeable was the lack of any soundtrack throughout. While standing in the queue we could hear everything from the group ahead of us which could have been masked by some queue line music or other effects. That aside, The Barn is a good solid attraction with some fun scenes and effects.
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Field of Screams
The Field of Screams is a dual attraction - part trailer ride - part corn field and pulls off both sides admirably. Once on board, the audio kicks in and our trip through the darkness was peppered with a number of different scenes. We were never quite sure what was going to appear when and after being judged by a mad preacher man we finally came to the end of the trail. But we were a long way from the event field - there was only one way back - and that was through the contamination zone!
We're getting a bit bored of writing this but once again - the farm's crop has been hit by the bad summer we've had and so the corn was just not as high as it should have been. This meant that we could see right across the field and anticipate some of the things coming but with clever use of barns, greenhouse tunnels and other structures - most of the scares were kept hidden until they happened. What surprised us was how long the path was and every time it felt like we were getting close to the exit, the path double backed the other way.
There were some good effective scares throughout the route and the whole attraction ended with a chaotic final scene that left most people running for the door!
We're getting a bit bored of writing this but once again - the farm's crop has been hit by the bad summer we've had and so the corn was just not as high as it should have been. This meant that we could see right across the field and anticipate some of the things coming but with clever use of barns, greenhouse tunnels and other structures - most of the scares were kept hidden until they happened. What surprised us was how long the path was and every time it felt like we were getting close to the exit, the path double backed the other way.
There were some good effective scares throughout the route and the whole attraction ended with a chaotic final scene that left most people running for the door!
Industrial theming along the path
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The field was full of scarecrows
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Slasher
If the park were trying to make a statement about their intention to really scare people, then Slasher just screams "look at us - we're scary". Everything about Slasher from the queue line through to the ending oozes class and it is the type of thing you would expect in a large corporate theme park - not a farm in Burton Upon Trent!
The maze was designed by Andrew Porter who has worked on scare attractions in the US and helped design the Black Chasm at The Silver Mountain Experience. Inside a well hidden marquee is a solid framed maze that is full of detail around every corner. There's not an unthemed wall or ceiling out of place as everything has been painted and prepped to look realistic.
The whole thing plays out slightly differently to other scare attractions as it includes some sit down "show" elements alongside the more traditional dark walkthrough. From beginning to end we were accompanied by a very impressive lighting system and a soundscape that literally vibrated us to our very core. All while being attacked by a number of enthusiastic actors! Once inside there really is no let up and our party experienced some genuine moments of fear and panic - easily the best of the night.
To say much more about Slasher would give away the surprises but Screamfest should be proud to have a show of such high quality and detail in their line up. In fact - some of the UK's biggest theme parks could do with visiting this attraction to see how to do it as it is easily one of the most complete and comprehensive attractions we have experienced this Halloween! Well done to all concerned.
The maze was designed by Andrew Porter who has worked on scare attractions in the US and helped design the Black Chasm at The Silver Mountain Experience. Inside a well hidden marquee is a solid framed maze that is full of detail around every corner. There's not an unthemed wall or ceiling out of place as everything has been painted and prepped to look realistic.
The whole thing plays out slightly differently to other scare attractions as it includes some sit down "show" elements alongside the more traditional dark walkthrough. From beginning to end we were accompanied by a very impressive lighting system and a soundscape that literally vibrated us to our very core. All while being attacked by a number of enthusiastic actors! Once inside there really is no let up and our party experienced some genuine moments of fear and panic - easily the best of the night.
To say much more about Slasher would give away the surprises but Screamfest should be proud to have a show of such high quality and detail in their line up. In fact - some of the UK's biggest theme parks could do with visiting this attraction to see how to do it as it is easily one of the most complete and comprehensive attractions we have experienced this Halloween! Well done to all concerned.
Andrew porter - the designer, stands outside his creation
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The only picture of the inside we are prepared to share. Go and see it for yourself but check out the detail!
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Screamfest opens on October 19th and runs for selected dates until November 3rd
You Review
Been to the adventure farm many times with my daughters and the transformation is fantastic! Very cold night and queueing was a real pain but we warmed up in the slasher! I do disagree however I didn't find it the scariest, the music and fx etc are fantastic but this somehow made it more fake. I know others didn't share my view :-) Been on the tractor ride many times in the day and ingenious how they incorporated this into field of screams, we all literally sprinted out of the barn and field of screams.....nothing beats the image and sound of a chainsaw wielding maniac!! I went dressed as 'death' and scared a few people who joined our party unwittingly as they forgot I was with them and I was at the back lol...genuinely scary at parts being first or last in a room in the barn...and I saw the hottest ghost I have ever seen on the tractor ride, oh I hope she crosses over to join the reaper soon so she can be mine hwaahh hwaahh hwaah :-)
You review - warning contains spoilers
Joining the very long queue, anticipation was high as we looked ahead to it snaking towards a small building resembling a correctional facility. With floodlights and mesh fencing surrounding the waiting public along with news reports on television screens depicting the Slasher boy's gruesome crimes, it truly gave a feel of a very Americanised prison scenario. Eventually we reached the front gate where we were given a warning by a uniformed guardsman. The building looked very menacing and we were led in with the option of getting out only if we felt we couldn't handle the very first room. Apparently quite a few had jumped ship at this point!
Walking into a small corridor, we immediately were led to our right into a small execution viewing room. A female reverend asked us to take our seats in the two rows and informed us we were about to witness the execution of James Munroe, a disturbing creature who after been sectioned at a young age for very strange behaviour and bullied by his peers, committed a series of ghastly murders and was now to seal his own fate in the electric chair. The curtains swept back and a hooded man in an orange US prison jumpsuit sat shackled in the chair foretelling that he would come back to avenge those who had put him here. The lever was pulled and his body jerked from the volts entering him until he stilled. Just then the lights cut out and we were told by the reverend not to panic. As soon as they had gone out they came on again but the electric chair was now empty! Gulp! Once again the lights went out and as we cowered together, they flickered for us only to be faced with the Slasher in front of us, alive and free from his shackles! Plunged into darkness again there was a scream and when the lights finally rectified themselves the female reverend, complete with horrifying bodily slashes, slumped on the floor in front of us. Shocked but feeling that we handled our induction well, a door from a wall suddenly flung open and we made our way through the maze of the building. Music reminiscent of the score to A Nightmare on Elm Street thumped loudly and red lights lined our way. As we gingerly slunk through the corridors, we were faced with several characters hampering our route, ensuring that we were forced to watch as another terrifying character ran towards a metal fence separating us from him and slashing at it with a blade, sparks flying everywhere. Colin truly believed that this guy would kill us given the opportunity. We were finally allowed to pass and made our way to a room where a girl shackled to a chair and quite injured pleaded with us to save her. The slasher jumped from nowhere and we ran with every breath we had out of the building and back into the compound.
What Andrew Porter did with such a small space was truly remarkable. He was incredibly passionate about his project and with a wealth of experience in the industry, particularly having had the opportunity to work on sets in America, no stone was left unturned in this attraction. Right down to the items on the prison staff's pinboard and the angles used throughout, he had thought of everything. The characters showed Slasher throughout terms of his life getting angrier and angrier. The set design ensured that the participant never really saw a glimpse of what was about to happen before it actually did. It was an absolute pleasure to meet a talented individual such as Andrew and we can't wait to see what he has in store for the future.
Our official review of this and other attractions can be viewed in full at www.scareraters.com
Walking into a small corridor, we immediately were led to our right into a small execution viewing room. A female reverend asked us to take our seats in the two rows and informed us we were about to witness the execution of James Munroe, a disturbing creature who after been sectioned at a young age for very strange behaviour and bullied by his peers, committed a series of ghastly murders and was now to seal his own fate in the electric chair. The curtains swept back and a hooded man in an orange US prison jumpsuit sat shackled in the chair foretelling that he would come back to avenge those who had put him here. The lever was pulled and his body jerked from the volts entering him until he stilled. Just then the lights cut out and we were told by the reverend not to panic. As soon as they had gone out they came on again but the electric chair was now empty! Gulp! Once again the lights went out and as we cowered together, they flickered for us only to be faced with the Slasher in front of us, alive and free from his shackles! Plunged into darkness again there was a scream and when the lights finally rectified themselves the female reverend, complete with horrifying bodily slashes, slumped on the floor in front of us. Shocked but feeling that we handled our induction well, a door from a wall suddenly flung open and we made our way through the maze of the building. Music reminiscent of the score to A Nightmare on Elm Street thumped loudly and red lights lined our way. As we gingerly slunk through the corridors, we were faced with several characters hampering our route, ensuring that we were forced to watch as another terrifying character ran towards a metal fence separating us from him and slashing at it with a blade, sparks flying everywhere. Colin truly believed that this guy would kill us given the opportunity. We were finally allowed to pass and made our way to a room where a girl shackled to a chair and quite injured pleaded with us to save her. The slasher jumped from nowhere and we ran with every breath we had out of the building and back into the compound.
What Andrew Porter did with such a small space was truly remarkable. He was incredibly passionate about his project and with a wealth of experience in the industry, particularly having had the opportunity to work on sets in America, no stone was left unturned in this attraction. Right down to the items on the prison staff's pinboard and the angles used throughout, he had thought of everything. The characters showed Slasher throughout terms of his life getting angrier and angrier. The set design ensured that the participant never really saw a glimpse of what was about to happen before it actually did. It was an absolute pleasure to meet a talented individual such as Andrew and we can't wait to see what he has in store for the future.
Our official review of this and other attractions can be viewed in full at www.scareraters.com
You Review
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