Tulleys Shocktober Fest review: The most fun you can legally have with a chainsaw

Get ready for well-thought out immersive experiences at Shocktober Fest in Tulleys Farm - a national treasure that seems to get better with each one of its 26 years

Andrew Gilpin Deputy Editor in Chief

13:35, 26 Oct 2022Updated 13:42, 26 Oct 2022

One of the HillBillies you'll encounter at the Chop Shop(Image: TULLEYS)

Forget the deranged cannibal chasing you down a dark alley clutching a satanic doll, the most genuinely shocking thing about Shocktober Fest is the high production values.

Most of us have tried something like this before - an experience where real life actors jump out and try and scare you. And we know they have varying degrees of success - from the sublime to the literally ridiculous.

My first experience was when I was a kid at the local fair. On the Ghost Train a fella's hand used to come out and pinch one of you - which was fine until Beanhead (not his real name) grabbed it and he fell over, taking a curtain with him.

The sight of a mildly embarrassed Carny shaking his good fist at us as we disappeared around a corner will live long in the memory. Anyway, I digress.

Shocktober Fest in Tulleys Farm is a national treasure and seems to get better with each one of its 26 years. These are well-thought out immersive experiences where you queue like a theme park ride ride and walk around brilliantly set out landscapes waiting for the scares.

And, by God, do they come.

[Shocktoberfest]

The group I'm with get afraid - very afraid. I'm not though. I'm super cool

There's the Chop Shop, where you're chased around a garage by deranged HillBillies Billy-Bob, Billy-Joe and Billy-Ray - complete with chainsaws - all the way to the Penitentiary where you try and survive a full-on prison riot.

In the Village of the Coven 13, witches stalk you as you make your way through a neon maze and old favourites like The Cellar (think Fritzl, but with more zombies) and the classic Creepy Cottage where you get the most impressive acrobatic trick of all the cast.

The crowd favourite seems to be the Haunted Hayride where you jump on the back of a tractor trailer and get led through a spooky Horrorwood Studios full of vampires, inbreds, lusty nuns and Victorian hypnotists.

And no, it doesn't sound like a night out in Chatham.

[Coven 13]

Take on the witches at Coven 13

Doom Town takes the Stranger Things 1980s theme and runs with it - well, you run* through haunted video stores and scenes right out of Friday the 13th.

*No running please.

But for me the most scary/thrilling was Hell-Ements, where you're given a black hood to put on your head and you have to lead yourself through a maze trying to keep it all together. The best bit is at the end when you have to take the hood off.

[Shocktoberfest]

Some of the naughty nurses at Shocktober Fest this year

In all there's 10 experiences to choose from, plus street theatre, live music and wandering bandits with a quip or two to put you down in front of your friends.

There's also a hog roast.

Europe's largest scream park has dazzling special effects and is a truly immersive experience where you simply don't know what's coming next.

[Shocktober Fest]

Some of the creatures you'll have to deal with at Shocktober Fest(Image: TULLEYS)

But more than that, it's genuinely well done.

Even if you don't get scared easily you'll still admire the set design, the imagination and sheer enjoyment the actors have in their roles.

You'll certainly get something out of it and not even Beanhead (not his real name) could ruin it.

The facts you need...

Where: Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill Road, Turners Hill, Crawley, West SussexNearest station: Three Bridges (30mins from London Bridge/London Victoria)When: Selected dated from 20/09/22-05/11/21Park opening times: 5-6pm (Night dependant) with attractions opening at 6.30pm

READ NEXT:

Article continues below

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.