The Howl at Mead Open Farm 2026
Whilst we were very kindly gifted VIP Tickets we retain editorial control of what the review says. Our Slasher Review
On the 18th of October we headed south to The Howl at Mead Open Farm just outside Leighton Buzzard. The event features 7 scare attractions which are The Shriek Easy, Howl Valley High, The Full Moon Manor, Red, Noxious Alley, The Shed and Squealers Yard. The Event also features a large selection of cast on the roaming street theatre team each giving hints to the attractions you will face on the night. You can also expect a good amount of food and drink options plus live DJ's, live music, bars and dance areas plus a big top circus(Circus of Screams) and a new show Ding Dong Die . Top attraction of the night for us was The Shed and the bottom attraction...there was no bottom attraction, each fought for the top spot with pure force and talent. The Shed just happened to pip the others to the post but by mere margins.
Top Tips-Buying some FastTrack will help your night with so much to see and do, however if that is not your thing, recommend downloading the app which helps you keep an eye on the queues around the park.
Things that bite-Some of the groups were a little too big, However we really are splitting hairs here and it was a sell out night, this also leads to our second point, the parking situation was a little unorganized given the guest numbers on the night.
Value for Money-Absolutely, Had we paid for the VIP Tickets we would not have been disappointed with the outcome. But as a general guest the 7 Mazes and Roamers alone are worth the money and then some.
Scare Rating-We are proud to award a rare but proven to be achievable 5/5!
Do we recommend-Without a shadow of a doubt!
Our Stalker Review
On Sunday the 18th of October we headed on a 2 hour trip down to the Howl from sunny-ish Nottingham. The last time myself, Dane and Abby visited was 2022 so we were all excited to see what had changed, what had been improved and if The Howl lived up the expectations from our previous visit. We arrived just after maze opening and joined the queue to park, this is where things felt a little chaotic and confusing, we were directed down a row into the car park to find no spaces, we were then instructed to make a new row in the middle leaving little space between cars in front and behind, even the attendant looked a little bemused. This is literally our only gripe of the evening and it didn't even take place in the mazes so its a small issue but we wouldn't be fair if we didn't give the feedback.
Soon after we queued up for security, which we have to say is strict but fair yet didn't keep us waiting long at all, after that we joined the main cattle pen to the ticket collection where we picked up our VIP Wristbands, The staff member on the end left of the entrance who served us was bubbly and had a little chat of where we had already been and where we had to go still, she was engaging, polite and a great asset to the team and we hadn't even hit the mazes.
We entered through the flaming shipping container entrance that makes quite the impact from outside and headed into the first open area where the street theatre treated us to the funeral of Mr. Topper which as you can imagine didn't go completely to plan especially with the deceased not being so dead after all. This interaction also features a very well choreographed fight sequence between two of the chainsaw hillbillies which made is wince a little bit at the hard hits they took to the floor. The show did go on a bit longer but we wanted to head to the attractions, so we made our move to the back of the park and headed to our first maze of the night.
Our first maze of the night took us to Noxious Alley, The dream child of Dr Gallows, I believe this it what replaced Toppers Twister, the parks clown maze on our last visit in 2022. Now last time we were here we actually rated Toppers as the parks weakest attraction so would this new creation change our perception of what was there before it, in a word Oh God Yes!. Noxious Alley starts with a fantastic preshow video where we are introduced to Dr Gallows and his experimental creations which come in the form of Toxic Clown rejects, Now I know what you will say, Hasn't this theme been done before and in an answer Yes there has been a similar theme portrayed before but The Howl have took this theme and tipped it on its head and created a UV Paint psychedelic trip of an attraction to the point you actually forget its clowns and feels more like a dystopian world where Bob Ross took a whole load hallucinogenics. Noxious Alley uses so much UV Neon paint that it borders on insanity but it works so well, From the girl who wants you to sniff her poo(Such a great moment and delivered with so much confidence without cracking up), complete with a hand held turd, to full size wrecks of cars in-between the alleys and streets within. The inhabitants within Noxious Alley are a mixture of intimidating, psychotically happy and downright insane, One thing we loved about this attraction besides the use of so much colour was just how well all the cast bounced off each other, in some places that could be meant literally, the attraction features air cannons, unexpected noises and even a vortex tunnel which as a rarity feels completely at home in the location rather than added for an extra effect. Also a shout out goes to the cast member working the vortex, that is not an easy area to work but they worked it with skill and perfection. The theme of the cast being just perfection was not just limited to this attraction but is a story that links all the attractions together.
Our second maze of the night was The Shed, which is the parks hillbilly family/collective maze however they have expanded on this trope so much that it really should have its own genre or category. The Shed is a dark, claustrophobic and completely insane. The family who inhabit it are feral, ferocious and an absolute tour de force team that leave no scare unobtained all while mostly never saying any dialogue but rather relying on clicking, growls, screams and other ungodly noises that made our skin crawl, Some attractions that have tried this approach have left the maze feeling stale, but not The Howl. With every and I mean every cast member delivering forceful impact scares, stalking and sustained scares in equal measure, when in The Shed trying to anticipate where a scare will come from next is practically impossible , scares come left and right, out of the dark spaces in-between the pallets and hessian draping all culminating in a mental crescendo of strobes and a final cast scene that don't let up, this is where scares come from above, below and all around, getting fantastically close to deliver a scare while never touching is an art form in itself and The Shed inhabitants have this down to an artform, it is clear that to work The Shed you have to be of a very high bar and it shows. Just one maze in all 3 of us had been victim to multiple scares, When going into The Shed don't try to anticipate what is coming because its brilliant use of claustrophobic, tight sets and a team that don't give up is why it works so well.
Next up we headed next door to Squealers Yard, This is The Howl's "butcher" maze, again another theme that has been done to death over the years but just like The Shed and to be honest all the attractions at The Howl, has its own style and take on the theme. We entered Squealers Yard to be met with the matriarch of the family who has invited us to take a look at her BBQ which unlike a nice brisket has fingers, toes and many other things that soon show this cooked offering was once human. Soon after the daughter of the family joins in and with a pinch of guest participation we are sent on our way. The smells are the first thing that hits you when you enter the yard. Followed by another cast that right from the get go doesn't quit. Where as the The Shed was all about a feral, animalistic nature, Squealers Yard is more about down right intimidation. The cast in the yard stand their ground in the scenes and work the open spaces with impeccable timing with the jump scares but the key in the yard seems to be the art of the sustained scare, which happens to be my favourite type of scare, it's that moment where you see the cast member from afar , they make no effort to hide and relish in the fact the only way you will progress is getting beyond them. The further you get into the yard, it starts to play tricks on you, purposely designed quiet areas that are such a juxtaposition of the loud and chaos of the scenes before, you feel a false sense of security just long enough to make you question what will come next without it feeling like a dead spot. Nearing the end we found ourselves in a long smoky container with plastic flaps down the length of the run and in the middle an actor who did very little in movement yet understood the assignment perfectly, in one sentence...Intimidate the hell out of the guests, I tried to barter for my life by uttering "The South will rise again" keeping in theme with the southern state style. This fell on deaf ears and a single point and one word "Boy", so simple yet so effective lead me to the back of the run where I actually got our group lost for about 20 seconds. The finale is a similar container but this time with an exceptionally timed chainsaw run out.
We then took this moment to grab food from the indoor area, We had 2 portions of cheesy chips and a burger with normal fries which set us back £24.00 which is not bad in scream park expectations. After a toilet stop which for once wasn't vile it was time to head to maze 4 of the night which was.
The Full Moon Manor. Carrying on with the staple scream park tropes, Full Moon Manor is the parks Hotel maze but again and you know what Im going to say, it was familiar yet somehow completely unique. Full Moon Manor starts with the reception desk with one of the most fantastically deadpan cast members I've ever met, Being in such a lit up room on full display can make scares and narrative driven scenes hard but this "bell hop" style character complete with Full Moon Manor logo embroidered on their jacket( see its the small details we notice too) held their own with acting prowess. Picking on many members of the group without even leaving their desk. When the time came the lift doors opened in front of us and it was time to go to our accommodation. The lift was not what I was expecting, especially when the doors shut behind us, I thought to myself have I just entered a time warp and found myself in SubTerra, before long the screens on the walls did a great job of indicating movement while the floor vibrated and the buttons of the various floors lit up, but soon all was to go awry, the numbers started to jump around randomly , the screens picked up speed and floor began to literally bounce around, what a great start to the attraction, luckily before vertigo set in for Abby we exited the lift into the belly of the hotel, Being asked what room number we were booked for and how long was our stay, they really went all out in this story. The further you venture in the more the impeccable hotel theming is evident while still feeling like it has been around for years, Another surprise came when we found ourselves utilizing stairs and different floors , Something I've not really seen since The Sanctuary, TotT And Stilton Hall. But this addition really added to the simple immersion of the attraction, now on to the scares, In here expect some great timed impact scares but the beauty of this attraction comes across in its creepiness and how the cast hone in on this style of scare so well. Each one felt like they had a full individual backstory, nearing the end of the attraction you find that they turn the heat up literally as you enter a large steamy smoke filled room which I think was a sauna designed to peel your skin off. The floor in here feels so strange and fair play to the cast that work this room, it can not be easy but you are all doing a fantastic job.
On to maze 5 and it was time to go to School with Howl Valley High. Move over Rydell this is where its happening, This attraction is the only one with a optional photo opportunity where you will be expected to do 3 poses, One a happy face, one with props and our favourite, the scream! With our collective scare acting backgrounds we went hell for leather with this and I think we scared the rest of the queue line as it is situated just off to the side of the middle of the cattle pen. But the photographer seemed very impressed with our efforts which was nice to see. Before long we found ourselves entering Howl Valley High with another impressively produced preshow video, The school pupils here are far from welcoming and the fact we were freshman was not in our favour. Howl Valley High features a plethora of scenes from the school halls and classrooms, kitchens and locker rooms and even a full prom scene. The actors hold the respective accents with skill and not once did we hear one drop the accent in question. Every scene has been meticulously thought out to drive the story and immersive nature in this impressive attraction, the murderous school team from Jocks, to Janitors, The cheerleaders to the prom king and queen, teachers and geeks, every avenue of character development has has no technical expense spared. This attraction like The Full Moon Manor and Squealers Yard hones in on sustained narrative scares, with a good mix of impact for good measure too, we also noticed some great stalking scares in here as well. If we was ever to get an attraction close to a scare maze of Heathers! this would be it. It is so great to see a fully realised school attraction which is a rare sight that I've seen so far across the UK Scare collection. But The Howl have done it so well with fully realised and varied characters and skillful scares that don't just target the front of the group, and again this goes for all the attractions at The Howl, I don't think there was any attraction that was solely front focused which is great to see.
Leaving school it was time to grow up and go back in time to the roaring 20's into the world of Twiggy Calzone in Shriek Easy. This was our longest queue of the night which was about 10 minutes with the fast track, The hostess on the entrance was an absolute hoot complete with a 20's New York accent, a trait held throughout the attraction, again not an easy accent to uphold but the entire cast really held their own vocal wise. The hostess kept the story going and we wasn't even beyond the entrance door. She asked us what our favourite drinks were, I stated Red Wine and she remarked while being surprised that I was one of the more classier clientele, we given one warning, Stay off the Gin and to order a "Red Hat" , This is where the "speak easy" part of Shriek Easy takes place, After another brilliantly produced video featuring Mr. Capone himself speaks of the Gin made within however this juniper moonshine has side effects, hangover,drymouth,murderous insanity, you know the usual. I was asked what "Hat" I wanted to buy , this was my chance I whispered back to the shop owner " I've come in for a red hat" he said are you sure, I said absolutely, I was instructed to knock hard 3 times and with that we were thrust into the world of the past and within seconds we were at the mercy of unsavory characters from societies dark underbelly and the smoky dance halls of jazz and liquor. This is another attraction where every attention to detail has been fully realised, From the stage floors, to the gambling tables and even a split moment which depends on which playing card you pick. The more you enter this twisted world of gangsters, revelers, molls and those taken over by the literal bathtub gin with a serious kick you realise how much effort has gone into this now award winning attraction. The scares are very theatrical in here, each character be it drunk, crazed or even flirtatious at times know their respective craft and play each role down to an art and never miss a scare beat. The attraction culminates in a group scares that I will leave out as its a great part of the attraction to be experienced blind. Shriek Easy is the dark world of gin and cabaret and even ends in a real bar, to which I had to be told by the bar man that it was a real bar as I was genuinely confused, maybe because I was so drawn into the story, I love to be immersed and throw myself into their worlds and Shriek Easy really is the place to Release The Howl!.
One more maze to go and it was time for Red. Another rare theme in the collection, Red is a dark twisted take on the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, except now she's gone twisted and it would seem in league with the wolfs of the wild wood. The first thing you will notice about Red is the woodland overgrowth scenes complete with real trees , leaves and dangling foliage that really brings you into Red's world. Red's casts roster is a simple but effective one, Lots of red hooded inhabitants that have been completely lost in the woods darkness to the point of dare I say demonic transformation, If you think that she's the innocent girl of the stories you are deadly wrong. In lighting terms I think Red might be the darkest of the 7 Attractions but this all works to their great advantage, Red also features an extremely effective "laser swamp" scene with hip high air bag runs and plenty of time for the cast to make an appearance to deliver just enough scares without it feeling repetitive. If you are not being terrorised by the red riding hood creatures within the big bad wolves are sure to get you instead. As seems to be a now recuring motif for our Abby, The cast playing the wolves seem to hone in on her fear and get her every time, As for myself I loved the downright creepy and spooky atmosphere that Red provides, the cast acting as the "Reds" take the sweetness of the fairytale, twist it in all shapes and spit out something truly disturbing for good measure, each one of the 7 mazes comes with its varied challenges for the cast but all and I mean ALL, Rise to the occasion and meet the challenge head on and Red is no exception. I actually think Red might have one of the hardest roles to do because while not relying on impact scares and focusing more on the sustained and deranged right down the overtly creepy noises that I didn't know humans could make, Red might be an older attraction but rest assured it holds its place with a cast full of determination and love for the attraction.
With all the 7 Mazes complete it was time to leave, but before we head off I just want to give the hugest shoutout of all out respect to the Street Theatre team. Now unfortunately we just kept missing Ding Dong Die and a road closure on the M1 made us have to head off earlier than we wanted, Also why we didn't get chance to see the Circus of Horrors. We would have liked to stay till closing but it wasn't on the cards sadly. The Street Theatre team are an absolute credit to The Howl, Street Theatre is one of the hardest roles to do in my opinion, In a maze you have at most 30 seconds with a guest and then they are gone, Street Theatre truly have to role with the punches and rely not only on scare tactics but on some blinding improvisation, knowing their respective characters inside and out and let me tell you The Howls team of Hillbillies, Pagan Witches, 20's Molls ,Gangsters and showbiz hopefuls, cheerleaders, pig people and ringleaders and clowns are just the few that I can remember but that does not mean in anyway that the others were forgettable. Its just that on such busy night, All the Street Theatre team were in such high demand for photos and videos that we just didn't get our chance. But from what we saw from afar was that every member of this fantastic team embodied their roles heart and soul and we love them for it. And so our night comes to a rainy close as we exit under the shipping containers and head back to the car all wishing we could turn back the hours and experience some of the best that UK scare has to offer all over again. We would like to thank once again The Howl for gifting the VIP Tickets and also give a huge congratulations to all the Cast, Crew, Creatives and Staff in between for not only a super memorable night but also one of the most successful nights We've had the pleasure to experience. I can't state this enough, EVERY SINGLE CAST MEMBER SMASHED IT! Thank you one more time and we hope to see you again in 2027. If you would like to experience The Howl for yourself and you really should you can do so at the link below. Also below you will find the rest of the dates for the 2026 run.
Comments