Often coined as the most haunted Island in the British Isles, the Isle of Fright has a few things that go bump in the night. A mecca for ghost hunters, especially at this time of year, the Island is packed with Halloween family fun.
The attractions here have also started to pull out some show-stopping events to start the scare with some frightfully good days out. So whether you’re more ghost hunter or scaredy Scooby Doo, there will be something up your ’spooky’ alley.
Toddlers to pre-teens
For the littlest ‘ghouls and boils’, make your way to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for some wickedly, wonderful fun during half term at Wizard Week. Halloween fancy dress is positively encouraged, and there are daily prizes for the most spooktacular costume.
Let your wild witches and vibrant vampires explore the station with the Halloween trail, discover the spooky woodland walk and trek to Train Story where more things go bump in the night. In a puff of steam back at the station yard you will feel like you’re off to wizarding school as you board the train. Tuck in to treat bags as you watch the countryside go by, but keep an eye out at each station for strange characters lurking on the platforms.
The UK’s oldest theme park, Blackgang Chine, always has kids in mind as Frights & Sprites returns for another magical year during October half term. There are gooey goings on at Rumpus Mansion as you create a slime pet (mums will love that), you can get your monster mash on at the spooky disco or join in creepy crafts all while wearing those hauntingly good Halloween costumes. All this plus the usual amazing attractions open across the site from Cowboy Town and Pirates Cove to seeing ‘real’ moving dinosaurs at Area 5.
Fun for all the family
If you have a mix of ages to keep entertained, that can seem like a horror in itself. Robin Hill’s Día de los Muertos, ‘Day of the Dead’ celebrations are coming to life through October. Inspired by this traditional Mexican holiday, experience new light shows in never seen before walkways. Pass through the veil to the other side and dance the night away with a live mariachi band. Celebrate life as the park is transformed, sample the favours of Mexico in this eruption of colour and make the most of it by making yourself up in traditional face paints before you arrive.
Considered to be one of the most haunted buildings on the Island, Carisbrooke Castle has a rich history, including being the prison of King Charles I. The team at English Heritage are hoping to entice you into the castle this Halloween. Get set for a ghoulishly good day out during half term. Little monsters can pick up a tricky trail and solve creepy clues as they make their way around the grounds. Settle in for tall tales of ghostly goings and keep your eyes wide for any apparitions that may pop up during your visit.
It would not be Halloween without a pumpkin and no matter what the teens say, everyone loves to carve a jack-o’-lantern. Tapnell Farm’s Pumpkin Patch does what it says on the tin. Gather up the troops and head west to pick your perfect pumpkin. Laid out across the fields you’ll have fun going from one to the other, choosing the one that will scare away the bad spirits come all hallows eve. Watch out for crazy characters and ghoulish games around the main site during half term.
Frightful nights
Terror Island at Blackgang Chine is definitely the land of dark imagination at Halloween and is every bit as scary as it sounds and not for the faint-hearted. Make your way through three (yes three) terrifying mazes, each one with its own spine-tingling theme. There’s no Aquaman to save you at Amphibious as vengeful mythological creatures take over the lighthouse as their supply of souls have dried up thanks to the good work Magnus the lighthouse keeper has done… will you be feasted upon?
Meanwhile, HEXcavation 2 – Demon Keeper is centred around a primordial being that has been woken from his slumber by an archaeological dig and now a demonologist is sending unwitting victims into the labyrinth (and not 80s film kind). Finally, (if your nerves can stand it, this little piggy isn’t sure) there is The Blood Shed. Creep into the decaying Mill House and set upon a gory blood-fest where half human-half pig hybrids lurk behind the corners and are dying to MEAT you. Think Wrong Turn but dialled up! So do you feel brave enough to enter?
Who you gonna call…
If you love tales of the unexplained and you ‘ain’t afraid of no ghosts’ then the Isle of Wight is the place for you. Packed with ghost stories and eerie goings, get set to explore the paranormal.
Ventnor Botanic Garden, now a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike, is set in 22 acres of stunning landscaped gardens. While beautiful, the Garden is also one of the most haunted places on the Island. Once the grounds of the Royal National Hospital, a medical facility at the forefront of the fight against tuberculosis.
Keep your eyes out for phantoms, including a young ghost girl, Victorian-era nurses in uniform and gardeners in Victorian-style clothing working in the walled garden. You might even notice a slight smell of antiseptic in the air as the ghostly history is retained upon the grounds. While those who have worked there will tell you of doors slamming, drawers opening of their own accord and conversations with people who disappear as quickly as they appear.
Right: Carisbrooke Castle’s imposing gatehouse.
Knighton Gorges near Newchurch is said to be the most haunted place on the Island, with cars rumoured to stop of their own accord when driving past late at night. A pair of gate posts are all that remain of the old manor house where strange stone creatures on the pillars reveal themselves sporadically. Ghost watchers have reported a coach and horses thundering down the driveway. The site is said to be home to murder, suicide and insanity and each New Year’s Eve, the old house itself has been seen reappearing, to the sound of music, laughter and general revelry.
Originally produced for Wightlife Magazine
