Attraction Review: Horror at Hinchingbrooke House

Better late than never! Apologies, the spooky season lurgy got me good and proper and then I blinked and it was November?! Anyway - rounding out my Halloween reviews with a write-up of the legendary Horror at Hinchingbrooke House! Located about half an hour south of Peterborough, Horror at Hinchingbrooke House is a haunted trail about one hour long, and does things a little differently by taking place literally throughout the house itself, as well as through the grounds and through an actual school?! I believe I last visited in 2019, so I was super excited to get back to what is known in the UK scare scene as one of the most intense haunts out there!

Considering the team turn this around in a very short amount of time (as mentioned - part of the attraction takes place through the corridors of a school so they essentially wait for the kids to leave for half term then get in there and set everything up) the theming is great. Given the manor house setting of the attraction anyway you've immediately got these gothic, spooky vibes from the offset and a little bit of set dressing amplifies that. The Horror at Hinchingbrooke House team are very clearly big fans of horror movies themselves, and are excellent at pinpointing specific horror movie iconography that any horror fan can take one look at and instantly know where they're meant to be. Silver Shamrock ad on TV plus vintage Halloween masks? We're in Halloween III. Christmas light and horrific anti-Santa? Must be Krampus. Camp Crystal Lake sign? Duh, we're in Friday 13th. 

It's by no means the most detailed or immersive out there but given the afforementioned turnaround time you can hardly expect it to be, but what they do manage to pull off is extremely impressive. The stand out for me this year had to be the Squid Game finale - everything in there evoked the most memorable parts of the show, complete with giant doll we had to wander past and avoid being killed off on the spot. I also love how their set dressing gives each section of the attraction a very clear identity. Even though it is one continuous trail, there are defined portions and the theme changes with each so it never feels repetitive which is quite something for a maze over an hour long. 

The scare tactics are...extreme, to say the least. In this maze the actors WILL touch you, they won't harm you but somehow you'll still come away feeling violated. You're grabbed, manouvered here there and everywhere, split off from your group and everything else inbetween. In our run through I was kidnapped by aliens, Sam was put in Sweeney Todd's barber chair and had a razor held to his throat, we were frogmarched by Squid Games...what do you call them? The guard...people. Yh those, they were very hands on, and most memorably I was pulled down the stairs by my ankles in the Saw room. It adds a real element of danger and fear, because the actors are so hands on and know the exact limit they can push things to without actually being violent or painful. I love it and it's some of the very few scare tactics left that actually get my heart racing!

Overall Rating:

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If you're a horror movie fan, you will adore Horror at Hinchingbrooke House. I tried to avoid spoilers but they do change up the theme every year and it's so much fun wandering into each room wonering which horror franchise we're going to be face to face with this time. I also love seeing their original ideas too - The Grindhouse cinema tent this year had all manner of insanity within, from a bog-brush wielding disgusting toilet monster to an alternative Thanksgiving dinner where a family of humanoid turkeys were feasting on a roasted human. Deranged creativity like that really does it for me so I was equal parts horrified and delighted making my way through that section. 

Being an hour long it can feel relentless though, so be warned. The actors are intense, they are non-stop, and if they can tell you are scared they will go in on you even harder. If you're looking for something to set you a little more on edge next Halloween I highly recommend checking out Horror at Hinchingbrooke House, especially if you're a horror movie nerd like I am!

Did you visit this haunt this year? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to have a chat!

Talk later xoxo,