Tulleys Farm Shocktoberfest 2014
Tulleys Farm Shocktoberfest is one of the UK's oldest Halloween events and we have been visiting it each year since 2002. Back then, a simple hayride and the Creepy Cottage were enough to keep us entertained, but as the years have progressed, we have seen the event grow and grow into what is now easily the UK's biggest halloween event. As with any event - new ideas and concepts come and go, but the one main thing that has preserved throughout the years is the entertaining mix of fun and fright that guests experience each night.
2014 has seen quite a large investment across the whole park including some revamps of older shows, a brand new maze and some extra entertainment around the site. It must be mentioned that Tulleys is one of the only UK scream parks that actually feels like a park, as opposed to a selection of attractions at a venue somewhere. With the sideshows, scare zone, roaming characters, food outlets, live music and more, the event is SO much more than just the scares in the mazes, meaning everything works together to make a very enjoyable experience.
The Tunnel
The Tunnel is new for 2014 and has effectively replaced the open air Field of Screams with an extremely dark, well themed indoor experience of about the same length. It is clear that several rooms and ideas have been lifted directly from the Field but the whole attraction feels more complete than previously, and certainly had our group screaming in the darkness.
Starting with a beautifully themed mine entrance - the tone of the whole attraction is set up early on as the tunnels get darker and darker. In fact at times the tunnels are so dark that the person leading the group will literally need to feel their way and lead the group forward. Those at the back of the group just hang on tightly trying not to get separated from the people ahead of them - despite the best efforts of some of the actors!
Along the way, the attraction has some exciting elements and some interesting set pieces, including a scramble over some rickety bridges, an intense strobe lit section (which comes as a shock after all the darkness) and a number of claustrophobia tunnels in all shapes and sizes! Due to the length of the attraction - there are some sections which are a bit light on actors but at times this is a blessing especially when you are struggling to see where to go!
All in - The Tunnel was a vast improvement over the Field of Screams and with the incredible theming at the entrance - is now a new highlight of the whole event.
The Cellar
The Cellar remains the signature maze at Tulleys and once again Esmerelda's creatures were on top form as they ran, jumped and screamed their way around the attraction. Despite numerous visits - this attraction never gets old, and the whole team experienced many scares throughout. Very little has changed for 2014 but when an attraction works so well - there's really no need to try and reinvent it
Twisted: Rock n Roll
Given a name change - Twisted: Rock n Roll effectively remains the same "curtains" maze as previously, but in recent years has added some more fun house elements along the journey. The switch from old black and white marionette clowns through to modern day multi colour ones is affected through the Trommel tunnel which always seems to be going just a little TOO fast for everyone to make it through upright! The clowns were as lively as usual and the maze remains as funny as it is scary. Not sure what the name change was for though.
Hell-ements Inferno
Another existing maze given a new name was Hell-ements, although again we couldn't really see what the name change was about. The attraction remained the same as before, with everyone hooded and following a rope through the darkness. Compared to previous years the hoods seemed to let in a little bit too much light, but we experienced this with a bunch of first timers and they were genuinely scared from beginning to end. Certainly the attraction works best when you have no idea what to expect.
Horrorwood Studios Haunted Hayride
The hayride is the signature attraction at the park and remains a fun but scary experience into the spooky woods. Some of the regular set pieces are still present and some of the scenes have become more movie focussed with characters from different films such as Psycho and Deliverance. As before, the scenes are all fairly random and unconnected, but they all come together to create a fun experience. Guests go from being terrorised by a chainsaw one minute to witnessing a nun twerking to Beyonce the next! The hayride is definitely unique and unmissable.
The Haunted House
For 2014, the parks oldest attraction - the Creepy Cottage has had an extensive makeover into the Haunted House. The new show is similar in content and style - the scares are slightly tamer than the main haunts but still manage to create a couple of good scares. The House has a number of features including animatronics that work well as a stand alone attraction, but the addition of a few actors takes the scares up to the next level. All in - its more of a fun additional extra than an extreme haunt as such, it didn't help that it just fell a bit flat towards the end as the live actors were all focussed on the front end of the maze.
The maze now empties out into the brand new Halloween Store which was stocked with incredible props and gifts for the Halloween season. We had to fight to get out without buying a whole load of new kit!
Silver Scream Drive In
New for this year is a drive in themed scare-zone with abandoned cars, a few freaky patrons and the popcorn girls. The area isn't particularly large but is a great extra addition to the line up and can be walked through several times during the event, giving a few thrills to those a bit to scared to go in one of the main mazes.
Roaming Actors
The roaming characters around Tulleys are always some of the most entertaining we see all Halloween. Although there are some scare elements (the chainsaw crew will happily chase anyone), most of the time the roaming characters are there for audience entertainment. A big favourite of all our team are the sexy nurses whose cheeky banter and witty conversation always remains on the just the right side of bawdy. Risque but not too too far! It was also nice to catch up with the beautiful Esmerelda who could be found roaming the site swigging from her gin bottle!
In summary, Tulleys is not the scariest event but it IS undoubtedly the most entertaining. The mix of scares, laughs, music and sideshows all combine to create a complete Halloween destination. There is so much going on that you cant fail to have a good time. Every where you look there is something happening and for that the park must be praised. The design work that has gone into the mazes has definitely improved this year and the actors (both in and out of the mazes) remain as engaging and creative as in the past. So if you have never been to Tulleys before then you should go and see it for yourself - we are sure you wont be disappointed!
2014 has seen quite a large investment across the whole park including some revamps of older shows, a brand new maze and some extra entertainment around the site. It must be mentioned that Tulleys is one of the only UK scream parks that actually feels like a park, as opposed to a selection of attractions at a venue somewhere. With the sideshows, scare zone, roaming characters, food outlets, live music and more, the event is SO much more than just the scares in the mazes, meaning everything works together to make a very enjoyable experience.
The Tunnel
The Tunnel is new for 2014 and has effectively replaced the open air Field of Screams with an extremely dark, well themed indoor experience of about the same length. It is clear that several rooms and ideas have been lifted directly from the Field but the whole attraction feels more complete than previously, and certainly had our group screaming in the darkness.
Starting with a beautifully themed mine entrance - the tone of the whole attraction is set up early on as the tunnels get darker and darker. In fact at times the tunnels are so dark that the person leading the group will literally need to feel their way and lead the group forward. Those at the back of the group just hang on tightly trying not to get separated from the people ahead of them - despite the best efforts of some of the actors!
Along the way, the attraction has some exciting elements and some interesting set pieces, including a scramble over some rickety bridges, an intense strobe lit section (which comes as a shock after all the darkness) and a number of claustrophobia tunnels in all shapes and sizes! Due to the length of the attraction - there are some sections which are a bit light on actors but at times this is a blessing especially when you are struggling to see where to go!
All in - The Tunnel was a vast improvement over the Field of Screams and with the incredible theming at the entrance - is now a new highlight of the whole event.
The Cellar
The Cellar remains the signature maze at Tulleys and once again Esmerelda's creatures were on top form as they ran, jumped and screamed their way around the attraction. Despite numerous visits - this attraction never gets old, and the whole team experienced many scares throughout. Very little has changed for 2014 but when an attraction works so well - there's really no need to try and reinvent it
Twisted: Rock n Roll
Given a name change - Twisted: Rock n Roll effectively remains the same "curtains" maze as previously, but in recent years has added some more fun house elements along the journey. The switch from old black and white marionette clowns through to modern day multi colour ones is affected through the Trommel tunnel which always seems to be going just a little TOO fast for everyone to make it through upright! The clowns were as lively as usual and the maze remains as funny as it is scary. Not sure what the name change was for though.
Hell-ements Inferno
Another existing maze given a new name was Hell-ements, although again we couldn't really see what the name change was about. The attraction remained the same as before, with everyone hooded and following a rope through the darkness. Compared to previous years the hoods seemed to let in a little bit too much light, but we experienced this with a bunch of first timers and they were genuinely scared from beginning to end. Certainly the attraction works best when you have no idea what to expect.
Horrorwood Studios Haunted Hayride
The hayride is the signature attraction at the park and remains a fun but scary experience into the spooky woods. Some of the regular set pieces are still present and some of the scenes have become more movie focussed with characters from different films such as Psycho and Deliverance. As before, the scenes are all fairly random and unconnected, but they all come together to create a fun experience. Guests go from being terrorised by a chainsaw one minute to witnessing a nun twerking to Beyonce the next! The hayride is definitely unique and unmissable.
The Haunted House
For 2014, the parks oldest attraction - the Creepy Cottage has had an extensive makeover into the Haunted House. The new show is similar in content and style - the scares are slightly tamer than the main haunts but still manage to create a couple of good scares. The House has a number of features including animatronics that work well as a stand alone attraction, but the addition of a few actors takes the scares up to the next level. All in - its more of a fun additional extra than an extreme haunt as such, it didn't help that it just fell a bit flat towards the end as the live actors were all focussed on the front end of the maze.
The maze now empties out into the brand new Halloween Store which was stocked with incredible props and gifts for the Halloween season. We had to fight to get out without buying a whole load of new kit!
Silver Scream Drive In
New for this year is a drive in themed scare-zone with abandoned cars, a few freaky patrons and the popcorn girls. The area isn't particularly large but is a great extra addition to the line up and can be walked through several times during the event, giving a few thrills to those a bit to scared to go in one of the main mazes.
Roaming Actors
The roaming characters around Tulleys are always some of the most entertaining we see all Halloween. Although there are some scare elements (the chainsaw crew will happily chase anyone), most of the time the roaming characters are there for audience entertainment. A big favourite of all our team are the sexy nurses whose cheeky banter and witty conversation always remains on the just the right side of bawdy. Risque but not too too far! It was also nice to catch up with the beautiful Esmerelda who could be found roaming the site swigging from her gin bottle!
In summary, Tulleys is not the scariest event but it IS undoubtedly the most entertaining. The mix of scares, laughs, music and sideshows all combine to create a complete Halloween destination. There is so much going on that you cant fail to have a good time. Every where you look there is something happening and for that the park must be praised. The design work that has gone into the mazes has definitely improved this year and the actors (both in and out of the mazes) remain as engaging and creative as in the past. So if you have never been to Tulleys before then you should go and see it for yourself - we are sure you wont be disappointed!
All pictures used with permission of Stephen Candy Photography
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Tulleys Farm Shocktober has been a staple destination for the Halloween season for some many years now. In the years it has seen some change and some reinvention of existing mazes throughout the years. As with many attractions things change from year to year and things are changed to make the event scarier than before.
This year for 2014 there has been some drastic change and actually feels like a festival for scare rather than a few marquees dotted around a farm creating attractions. All of this combined with live music, roaming actors, food outlets and now a scare zone creates a reason that Tulleys Farm is ‘World famous.’
Twisted: Rock n Roll
Our first attraction we tackled was Twisted: Rock n Roll. This maze is somewhat the same as its predecessor, curtains. It recently has a clown/carnival theme to it much like The Carnival of Screams at Alton Towers . we were batched in a group of 8 which impacted the amount of scares delivered by the actors to our group. It is worth noting that while there were plenty scares around, most of them were delivered towards the front of the group therefore the back of the group did not experience anything really scary about it. Halfway through they have a classic trommel which is constantly spinning quickly making it difficult for most of our group to navigate though.
The Tunnel
This is Tulleys brand new attraction for 2014 and has replaced the old Woodshock maze from last year. Its impressive mine entrance sets the nature for the rest of the attraction. It is noticeable that most of the dark rooms are a direct comparison from last year’s maze but are still effective as they were last year. At times the maze is almost completely pitch black and the only way to navigate around is via your hands, feeling your way around the maze, this adds to the intensity of the maze and the actors do their best to scare equally.
During the course of the maze there are some unique pieces such as a few wooden rickety bridges, leg ticklers and a brilliant cage maze section towards the end leading up for the finale. The finale packs a few actors and these clearly know how to work the maze and its groups. Unfortunately, there are some sections of the maze which are a little light of actors in the dark sections but this may be for that reason alone. Overall the Tunnel is a large improvement on two years ago but some elements from last year’s maze could have fitted nicely in The Tunnel. It is also worth noting that The Tunnel had us going back for more than one visit which can only make it a highpoint in the event.
Hell-ements Inferno
Hell-ements is another existing maze from previous years although it has been given a name change when it appears nothing has changed in this attraction. The layout is more or less the same as before, hooded and holding onto the rope through the darkness. As mentioned last year the hoods are not a complete blackout which allows the group to see where most of the scare actors are positioned and know when a scare is about to happen. One member of our group had never been to a scare event before and at times buried their head into the person in front due to not knowing what to expect.
Horrorwood Studios Haunted Hayride
This standout attraction at Tulleys which combines scare and comedy at the same time creates a unique attraction which has been loved for many years. Set in the woods of Tulleys Farm the setting automatically makes this experience unique. Some of the set pieces return but some of the scenes being geared towards move sets. Unfortunately, not all of the effects were working during our visit which was a shame as some scares were missed but the interaction from the actors helped make up for this loss. The use of fire and special effects make this attraction interesting and sensory creating something which is unique and another personal favourite attraction.
The Cellar
The Cellar is another classic example of an effective scare maze. Yet again the actors were creating scares from all directions as they worked their rooms brilliantly. At one point there were around 4/5 actors in the bedroom scene creating maximum scares throughout. Although having been through the maze many times before this attraction continues to scare and surprise from beginning to end. Not much has changed from last year but as the saying goes ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.’
The Haunted House
Renamed from The Creepy Cottage this maze has received a large makeover from last year. It is more or less the same as before in terms of scares and certainly does not use as many actors as the other attractions. Having said that there were still few scares which were a nice surprise giving the fact that it is more of a fun attraction than the other it has to offer. Towards the end the scares dropped off and most of the group were left strolling out the exit without having scares which made it fall a little flat in comparison.
Tulleys farm uses a whole arsenal of roaming actors which range from seductive nurses to army soldiers and not forgetting Esmerelda and her roaming entourage. Although they are not focused fully on scaring they do create the occasional scare with the use of chainsaws and often chase groups of people around the park. These actors combined with this year’s new Silver screen Drive in scare zone makes the little things go a long way.
Overall, Tulleys farm provides its guests with scares, laughs and unforgettable moments. Although it is not the scariest event that this country has to offer it is by sure the most impactful. The music, food, roaming actors and mazes clearly make this more of a festival than a scare event. The amount of detail added to the park always ensures there is something to look at and watch while waiting in line for the mazes. Tulleys Farm is an attraction which should be on many scare seekers list as for a complete scare package you can’t get better than this.
This year for 2014 there has been some drastic change and actually feels like a festival for scare rather than a few marquees dotted around a farm creating attractions. All of this combined with live music, roaming actors, food outlets and now a scare zone creates a reason that Tulleys Farm is ‘World famous.’
Twisted: Rock n Roll
Our first attraction we tackled was Twisted: Rock n Roll. This maze is somewhat the same as its predecessor, curtains. It recently has a clown/carnival theme to it much like The Carnival of Screams at Alton Towers . we were batched in a group of 8 which impacted the amount of scares delivered by the actors to our group. It is worth noting that while there were plenty scares around, most of them were delivered towards the front of the group therefore the back of the group did not experience anything really scary about it. Halfway through they have a classic trommel which is constantly spinning quickly making it difficult for most of our group to navigate though.
The Tunnel
This is Tulleys brand new attraction for 2014 and has replaced the old Woodshock maze from last year. Its impressive mine entrance sets the nature for the rest of the attraction. It is noticeable that most of the dark rooms are a direct comparison from last year’s maze but are still effective as they were last year. At times the maze is almost completely pitch black and the only way to navigate around is via your hands, feeling your way around the maze, this adds to the intensity of the maze and the actors do their best to scare equally.
During the course of the maze there are some unique pieces such as a few wooden rickety bridges, leg ticklers and a brilliant cage maze section towards the end leading up for the finale. The finale packs a few actors and these clearly know how to work the maze and its groups. Unfortunately, there are some sections of the maze which are a little light of actors in the dark sections but this may be for that reason alone. Overall the Tunnel is a large improvement on two years ago but some elements from last year’s maze could have fitted nicely in The Tunnel. It is also worth noting that The Tunnel had us going back for more than one visit which can only make it a highpoint in the event.
Hell-ements Inferno
Hell-ements is another existing maze from previous years although it has been given a name change when it appears nothing has changed in this attraction. The layout is more or less the same as before, hooded and holding onto the rope through the darkness. As mentioned last year the hoods are not a complete blackout which allows the group to see where most of the scare actors are positioned and know when a scare is about to happen. One member of our group had never been to a scare event before and at times buried their head into the person in front due to not knowing what to expect.
Horrorwood Studios Haunted Hayride
This standout attraction at Tulleys which combines scare and comedy at the same time creates a unique attraction which has been loved for many years. Set in the woods of Tulleys Farm the setting automatically makes this experience unique. Some of the set pieces return but some of the scenes being geared towards move sets. Unfortunately, not all of the effects were working during our visit which was a shame as some scares were missed but the interaction from the actors helped make up for this loss. The use of fire and special effects make this attraction interesting and sensory creating something which is unique and another personal favourite attraction.
The Cellar
The Cellar is another classic example of an effective scare maze. Yet again the actors were creating scares from all directions as they worked their rooms brilliantly. At one point there were around 4/5 actors in the bedroom scene creating maximum scares throughout. Although having been through the maze many times before this attraction continues to scare and surprise from beginning to end. Not much has changed from last year but as the saying goes ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.’
The Haunted House
Renamed from The Creepy Cottage this maze has received a large makeover from last year. It is more or less the same as before in terms of scares and certainly does not use as many actors as the other attractions. Having said that there were still few scares which were a nice surprise giving the fact that it is more of a fun attraction than the other it has to offer. Towards the end the scares dropped off and most of the group were left strolling out the exit without having scares which made it fall a little flat in comparison.
Tulleys farm uses a whole arsenal of roaming actors which range from seductive nurses to army soldiers and not forgetting Esmerelda and her roaming entourage. Although they are not focused fully on scaring they do create the occasional scare with the use of chainsaws and often chase groups of people around the park. These actors combined with this year’s new Silver screen Drive in scare zone makes the little things go a long way.
Overall, Tulleys farm provides its guests with scares, laughs and unforgettable moments. Although it is not the scariest event that this country has to offer it is by sure the most impactful. The music, food, roaming actors and mazes clearly make this more of a festival than a scare event. The amount of detail added to the park always ensures there is something to look at and watch while waiting in line for the mazes. Tulleys Farm is an attraction which should be on many scare seekers list as for a complete scare package you can’t get better than this.
Value for money, been 3 years running definitely worth it and changes each year. Scary, but yet funny. Knowing the actors can't touch you is reassuring but still as terrifying as ever... Especially if scared of the sack!! Love it.
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