Surviving Alton Towers' Scarefest - review

We'd been brave enough to venture into Altonville the, damp disused mine, created at Alton Towers as part of its ever popular Scarefest.

Our Hill Billy guides had warned us that it was believed to have once been home to a family of village outcasts with a dark secret and nicknamed the 'Skin Snatchers'. So kitted out in miners' hats, with dim beams of light to show our path we stumbled through the creepy passageways with horrible creatures leaping out at us, pushing us one way then pulling us another. And it's great, gruesome, nervous giggly, fun.

Scarefest is when Alton Towers lets the joy of being ever so slightly terrified take over even more than usual, with the grounds decked out in all things un-nerving.

From Halloween-themed displays, giant scarecrows and strings of eerie green lanterns to marauding creatures of the night and a band of ghosts, who have a nice line in dance routines and chat, the whole park is given over to the festival of scariness.

And quite a lot of visitors get into the spirit of it too, wandering round the park dressed up as a huge variety of characters from The Adams Family to Super Mario, and Wonder Woman to The Joker with some convicts and blood-splattered schoolgirls thrown in for good measure.

After surviving Altonville, we headed off to discover the Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within maze which took us on another pulse-racing adventure through the passageways of gothic towers.

As we followed each other round the twists and turns, strange and hideous characters emerged out of nowhere, disappeared, popped up, grabbed and shoved us.

The lights flashed on and off, revealing caged creatures which blinked into view and back out into the darkness. And there's that rush of relief as we emerge back into the daylight.

For the less fearless there is also the House of Monsters, where a little bit of trickery, twisted tales and dressing a mannequin under strict orders from a werewolf channelling Russell Brand, combine for some gentler freakiness.

And just when we thought we might be safe and head off for some light relief on the park rides, we wandered into one of the two Scare Zones and found ourselves being chased through a quarantine zone, yes we broke into a proper run, by a dungaree-wearing, chainsaw-wielding maniac.

With the park being open until 9pm there's a chance to also try out some of the rides again in the dark.

Galactica is Alton Towers newest offering for thrill-seekers and it delivers an adrenaline-fuelled ride, two ways – plain reality or with added virtual reality.

Either way, the wind is in your face and your breath is taken away.

Even having a meal at the park has been given a twist with the Rollercoaster restaurant offering 'fast' food with a difference. Having made our selection from a tablet at our table we watched as our tasty food, three burgers and a pulled pork came whizzing down to us on one of a labyrinth of tracks from the kitchen. Even our drinks, thankfully still in bottles, starters and puddings, were delivered to our table in the same novel manner.

We too were soon whizzing along again, this time at the Water Park.

We were staying in the Alton Towers Hotel, with its impressive, tiered foyer, offering a comfy room with plenty of space for the four of us as well as serving up a lovely buffet breakfast ensuring we were well-fuelled for the adventures of the day ahead.

Just a short walk away is the resort's Splash Landings Hotel with its water paradise, complete with slides and shoots, a lazy river and places to lounge.

But there's not much chance of relaxing for long at Scarefest which is a fabulous mix of the scary but fun and the weird and wonderful.