Halloween at Moors Valley Trail Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Maddie Reynolds
We were excited to receive tickets for this as had planned a visit anyway over the half term.
The trail is running from Friday 25th October until Sunday 3rd November, via time slots from 4pm until 9pm. There are 3 different sessions to consider Daylight which they recommend is most suitable for younger visitors. Twilight where the scare factor is ramped up at little bit. Moonlight which they say is as scary as it gets but still suitable for all.
We arrived at the Moors Valley Trail about 10 minutes before our booked time slot and parked in the car park. I have an annual pass so I didn’t have to pay for parking, otherwise it would have been £8. Moors Valley is very convenient to get to via a dual carriageway. It is a great county park with an activity trail, go ape, train rides and more that we use regularly as a family.
The park is free but they do charge for parking and prices vary throughout the year, summer months being more expensive and winter months.
When we arrived we struggled to find the beginning of the trail, so more signage towards the starting point would be good. Once we found where the trail began our tickets were scanned and we went through to the path that was well roped off and easy to follow.
I would highly recommend booking to visit during the twilight sessions to benefit most from all the visual lighting and effects within the trees and along the trail.
The sound effects were brilliant featuring crows, sirens, witches’ voices and spooky music. You can also expect to see grave yards, skeletons, pumpkins and spiders. Highlights included smoke filled swamps, flashing red eyes within the trees and a long vortex tunnel of laser lights that created an amazing floating effect.
The stars of the show were the amazing actors along the route, our trail featured a Highwayman, an Undertaker and a Witch.
The Highwayman stood still in the distance and slowly walked towards us, surprisingly creepy! The Undertaker interacted with the children brilliantly, giving instructions for further along the route, and the Witch cast spooky spells upon us all.
The trail was extremely well guided with multiple stewards in high vis along the way who were available for any problems that may occur. It was a good length and took us approximately an hour and a half to complete at a leisurely pace. The time slots for entry are well staggered meaning you are never rushed to take everything in, nor are you walking through crowds of people.
Half way round the trail there is a bar with some Halloween treats for kids such as mini pumpkins covered in chocolate and a bar with some spooky drinks and normal alcohol beverages for adults as well as hot chocolate, mulled wine and soft drinks.
The trail ends with a variety of street food trucks including Greek, waffles, hog roast and hot drinks. We made the most of this by purchasing some chips, however, some benches placed near the stalls would have been beneficial as we had to stand to eat.
Overall it was a great unique experience having never been to a Halloween themed lights trail before. Wrap up warm and bring a torch for those darker sessions as some of the terrain can be bumpy, as expected for a woodland. Fancy dress is encouraged and was enjoyed by many.
I would recommend this to all ages as there is something for all and it is a fun interactive trail.
Rating: 5/5
Prices vary depending on whether you attend peak or off peak sessions, Family tickets are available as well as Group bookings.
Tickets can be booked online at www.forestryengland.uk.