Crawley Tulleys Farm: First Shocktober Fest experience

Tulleys Farm’s Shocktober Fest is definitely the place to test your limits when it comes to frights during this Halloween season.

It was where I had my first ever experiences with scare actors and mazes, and it made me realise that I have a strange coping mechanism for fear.

Both me and my colleague Poppy were delighted to go to the opening night, even if it did rain torrentially throughout.

Shocktober Fest at Tulleys Farm in Crawley is described as Europe’s Largest Scream Park and has been running for 26 years now.

It has ten main “haunts” along with a good selection of food, activities such as axe throwing and paintballing, and shows throughout the night.

The nurses - Shocktober Fest at Tulleys Farm (Image: NQ)

• READ MORE: Shocktober Fest in pictures: A fun-fuelled night of frights

I had never done anything remotely similar to this - and so I really was going in blind.

While I am a huge fan of horror and Halloween, I am also a huge wuss who is incredibly jumpy and a bit of a screamer.

I was nervous for the first maze, called “Doomtown”, which had a brilliant cheesy 80s zombie theme.

The set was very detailed – and had endless different scenes to walk through.

I was very grateful that Poppy held my hand the whole way around because I just needed someone in front me to take the brunt of the jump scares.

The actors were brilliant, consistently convincing and always managed to catch you off guard.

It was clear that they had created their own characters and did an amazing job of fleshing their behaviours and characteristics out perfectly.

And this is where I first discovered my first coping mechanism for the mazes – the art of talking absolute rubbish.

I would tell the actors that they had a lovely home, or asked them what they were cooking for dinner, and at one point my journalistic instincts kicked in and I started asking a zombie shop keeper how he felt about the cost-of-living crisis.

Unfortunately, they weren’t very good interviewees and I think these questions actually encouraged them to pick on me more rather than easing the terror.

I must have been incredibly annoying because the whole way around most mazes, in between screaming, I was just talking utter garbage.

I think it is the same thing as over-talking when you are nervous, but the mazes were very intense, and I was just pleased that I had managed to brave all of them.

Each haunt has its own story and I started becoming more interested about the concept of each one as I noticed little clues and easter eggs throughout.

This first maze, “Doomtown”, was by far my favourite as I just felt the detail was second to none, but maybe it was that element of the unknown that made it so enjoyable as this was my first ever experience.

As the night went on, I got more confident with the mazes, but “Chopshop” (filled with angry hillbillies with chainsaws) and “Wastelands Penitentiary” (a prison where the inmates are running riot) also really shook me up.

Actors from the “Wastelands Penitentiary” maze (Image: NQ)

At one point we went on a Hollywood themed horror tractor ride that pulled us through drenched trees and out into the open and by the end of it you could wring out our clothes they were that soaked through.

But we grinned and bared, and most mazes were inside so provided some shelter from the rain.

We were lucky to spot some celebrities who were visiting the farm including Love Island winner Millie Court and Eastenders’ Shane Ritchie.

Poppie and Love Island winner Millie (Image: NQ)

The street actors interacted with you as you walked around the festival made it a special experience.

If I had any advice for anyone who is thinking about attending, it would be:

• - Make sure you bring some solid waterproof shoes and coats that you don’t mind getting a little muddy – some of the outdoor sections of the mazes are well trampled and wet.
• - Get your first maze out of the way quickly and the others will not feel as harsh – once your adrenaline is going, it is much easier.
• - Make sure you take the time to interact with the street actors, see the circus show and take in the atmosphere. The mazes are amazing but Shocktoberfest has a lot more to offer.

Tickets which include access to all the mazes are between £42.00 to £60.00, but there are other ticket options available if you would prefer to have fast passes, a VIP experience, or if you decide to give the mazes a miss.

You can find out more about Tulleys Farm Shockobter Fest here.

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