REVIEW: LEEDS CASTLE’S HAUNTED HALLOWEEN QUEST
Witches, Goblins, Falcons and Spellbinding Beauty in New Interactive Adventure
Beautiful Leeds Castle is steeped in history and legend and is exactly the sort of enchanted place you’d expect to find otherworldly creatures.
That’s exactly what we discover on its new Haunted Halloween Quest, an interactive journey through its stunning, 550-acre estate to rescue Rocky the Stone Monster and break the curse of the castle’s crumbling walls.
It’s a perfect autumn day, as we crunch through golden leaves across the immaculate, sun dappled grounds, past swans, water features, blooming magnolia, the grand castle, mazes and trees, while the children excitedly tick off six magical coloured stones on their quest sheets.
Along the way, we meet a host of colourful characters, who give clues and interact with the audience, from Ember the Witch, Bramble the Tree Goblin, Diablo the Cursed Castle Hound, Talon the Hawkman, Kit the Castle Keeper and finally, Rocky the Stone Monster.
There is also surprise seasonal entertainment along the way, including a brilliant chainsaw wood carver, transforming logs into pumpkins and owls, and the Cast of Hawks Halloween falconry displays.
Finally, through the maze we discover the final gem and the sprawling Knights’ Stronghold Playground, where the grand finale takes place.
All of the characters gather to place the gems we’ve discovered into the walls to lift the curse. The children sing along with the characters, enthusiastically help with the spells, shout instructions and delight in helping their magical new friends.
Afterwards, we’re free to explore the extraordinary, medieval-themed playground, complete with giant castles full of zip wires, climbing walls, wobbly bridges, cargo nets, slides, plus an underworld grotto, adventure golf, giant outdoor beach, obstacle course and every park feature you can imagine.
There’s a cafe in the play area for pizzas and sandwiches, or the gorgeous, oak-beamed Castle View Restaurant for something more special.
On the way out, we stop at its vintage ice cream shop for treats, before exploring Leeds Castle and its fabulous 900-year history of strong and visionary women, which my daughter loves.
We immerse ourselves in its Medieval and Tudor stories, including the fascinating tale of Joan of Navarre, who was imprisoned at the castle by King Henry V, who falsely accused her of being a witch.
And we relive the glamour of Lady Bailie’s time at the castle, holding lavish parties for everybody from Charlie Chaplin to Errol Flynn and filling the grounds with llamas, zebras, exotic birds and even a swimming pool with wave machine.
Tired little legs from a busy day exploring the sprawling grounds are an excellent excuse to jump aboard Elsie the Castle Train, a charming green land train which can take guests back from the castle to the main entrance.
The spirit of Lady Bailie’s passion for entertaining lives on in the castle walls, which our children are thrilled they have stopped from crumbling.
Leeds Castle, Penfold Hill, Kent ME17 1RG. Tickets for Halloween event & annual pass: Adult £31.50, Child £22.50 (Age 3-16); Family £79 (2 + 2). Must be booked in advance
Comments