As the Americanisation and proliferation of the Halloween season intensifies year-on-year here in the UK, the demand for the likes of Screamfest Burton’s ‘horror mazes’ only seems to intensify. In fact, it’s almost difficult to imagine that even just a decade ago, attractions such as these were relatively few and far between in good old Blighty. 

So fast forward to 2016, and not only now does the season of the scare approach almost Christmas-levels of festivity and anticipation, but the competition amongst scare attractions such as Screamfest is intensifying. The visitors are there, the demand is palpable, and so a new challenge takes its place - keeping things fresh, original and securing those return visitors.

‘Screamfest’ at Burton-on-Trent’s National Forest Adventure Farm have been doing a solid job over the past couple of years rising to this challenge by introducing a new maze or two per year, and this year’s newest arrival - ‘Love Hurts’ - is a superbly themed and well-constructed maze that sits comfortably alongside the still-brilliant ‘Children of the Corn’ as the strongest experiences on offer.

‘Corn’ returns once more, as you are eerily taken out into the farm’s corn fields to survive a suitably eerie journey both indoors and out, including the very welcome return of a particularly panic-inducing and claustrophobic mid section. There were notably fewer actors jumping out and getting involved in the outdoor areas of the maze this year, though they very may have been busy being put to use in the more densely populated ‘Love Hurts’, more on which later. ‘Corn’ also seemed to be less consistently themed than previously, but it is still a great experience and one of the more characterful and perfectly-situated horror mazes out there. The initial journey, being towed ominously away from civilisation on a tractor wagon into the darkness, remains one of the strongest and eeriest openings to a maze of this ilk.

Last year’s newcomers ‘Nightbringer’ and ‘Freakout’ return, and though they are arguably the weakest of the five mazes, ‘Nightbringer’ in particular has a lot of fun with mixing up its approach, throwing in areas of follow-the-rope darkness and compulsory stops as you make your way through a laboratory where a demonic presence has been let loose. Freakout benefits from the always-freaky theming of clowns and Circus folk, but is by some measure the least frightening of the five. ‘Soul Seekers’, a Most Haunted-esque journey through an abandoned hotel, offers some terrific theming and even a spot of visitor interaction which this writer was personally subjected to. I shan’t spoil it with specifics, but needless to say it involved my climbing into a blooded bathtub.

As mentioned, this year’s new maze, ‘Love Hurts’ is up there with ‘Corn’ in terms of both scares and overall experience. It’s a fantastically (and disgustingly!) themed venture into the depths of a dating club gone very, very wrong. Again, to delve into too much detail would really ruin the experience, but right from the off ‘Hurts’ impresses with it’s attention to detail, staging and production values. Some may be temporarily disappointed that this year’s Screamfest only offers a single new experience, but seeing as what is on offer is easily better than both of last year’s new mazes combined, it definitely justifies a return visit.

In all, much of the praise I bestowed upon Screamfest Burton last year still stands - it is a scary, characterful and thoroughly enjoyable evening that is very reasonably priced and a must-visit for fans of this booming new entertainment industry. There remains the charming synergy of a fantastic location in the National Forest Adventure Farm mixed with both solid theming and production values, and in places still echoes of a slightly makeshift, homemade charm, which, like I stated last year, results in an atmosphere where you’re never quite sure what will come next. 

Some of the more hardcore maze fanatics may be disappointed that at none of the five mazes can the actors grab you (though given the size of the operation and the no-doubt countless Health and Safety issues it throws up, this is entirely understandable), but nevertheless you’ll get wet, you’ll find yourself ushered into ever-shrinking spaces, you may even feel like you’re about to suffocate - it’s thrilling, at times genuinely intense stuff, and horror fans will lap it up.

There are still the smatterings of sideshow attractions (a fire juggler, stage show and a handful of stilt-walking entertainers dressed in a myriad of ghoulish attire) but make no mistake, Screamfest is all about it’s mazes, and with a fantastic new addition that is considerably stronger than the newer offerings of last year, and that sits alongside the existing promise and merit of Screamfest as a go-to Halloween destination, 2016 offers probably the Staffordshire attraction’s best experience and line-up yet.

Heartily recommended - though in addition to those extra layers, you may need to pack yourself an extra set of underwear.

SCREAMFEST 2016 runs at the National Forest Adventure Farm until Monday 31 October 2016.

To book your tickets, head on over to the official website by clicking HERE.

Press tickets to Screamfest 2016, were provided courtesy of the National Forest Adventure Farm directly. The author gratefully acknowledges their generous invitation.