A couple of days before Halloween, a few friends and I visited Hever Castle’s 'The 13th Frame and SUBstratum' event: also known as ‘Halloween Scream’. My mum told me there were two sections to experience, and that the first one, The 13th Frame, wasn't too scary…well, that definitely wasn't the case! Throughout the experience we walked through different rooms and halls. We were greeted by flashing lights, and actors jumping in front of us, and the last part involved being blindfolded! The fear was intense (and a couple of my friends cried), but I must admit it was my favourite part and we all thoroughly enjoyed it!
Phantoms and ghosts
In the first section, we came eye-to-eye with the phantoms and ghosts of the castle. We met Sir Doyle's assistant, whose aim was to take pictures of people and capture their souls, so they will never be able to escape the castle. This section ended with multiple jump scares, and we were told that we were the loudest group that had visited!
We were then led on to the 'SUBstratum' section where we were transported back to 1940, when WWII bombs were heading for Hever Castle. The adrenaline really kicked in, especially just before the end, when we were blindfolded… We were left waiting for a while, with no idea of what was going to happen next. Moments passed, then suddenly the silence was broken: the room filled up with whispering voices, and warm liquid suddenly rolled down our necks!
Nice after nasty
On exiting the castle, my mum greeted us with doughnuts and hot chocolate. These were gratefully received, and definitely helped our throats after all the screaming!
We loved our experience at Hever Scream and, although their Halloween event has now come to an end, I would definitely recommend a visit to the castle for their other events. I've had a sneaky peak at my mum’s calendar, and I know she has booked us tickets for the Pinocchio Christmas Trail, which my younger brothers will love too!
