This Halloween we decided to do something different. Since Harry and I began dating, we’ve hosted numerous Halloween parties, however this year we actually went to do an activity that goes with the season.

What is Nightmare at the Priory?

When we were first discussing this activity, it was because I had seen an advert for it on Instagram, but there hadn’t been any information. The advert had shown a few images of spooky scenes, but it left us questioning what it actually was.

I can now safely explain it as an immersive experience at the Priory Hotel in Hitchin. There are actors that will lead you through the various rooms occasionally jumping out at you or “asking” for your interaction.

They use lighting, masks, sounds and the layout of their surroundings (narrow corridors etc.) to their advantage. For example, there was smoke in one room and very low lighting at various points throughout the experience. This helps to build the atmosphere and anticipation as well as allowing the actors to use it to their advantage.

The Halloween Pop-Up

Before entering the scare maze, we spent an hour or so behind the hotel in their Halloween Pop-Up. Entrance to this area is included in the ticket, however you do have to pay for all the activities, separately, so we did end up spending a lot of money there.

Harry got to show off a little bit with the shooting range, but I was surprisingly good at the axe throwing and managed to win at the Halloween themed crazy golf. We also got to introduce Nora to an activity that will always bring back fond memories for me, toasting marshmallows.

There are also a couple of funfair rides, live music and refreshment vans/stalls. I wouldn’t have said that there was enough to do there to spend more than 3 hours unless you are warm enough to sit and enjoy the live music.

Our Experience

Harry loves Halloween and everything spooky, so when I saw the advert, I knew that it was something he’d be interested in, and I wasn’t wrong. Both he and Nora were really excited while I was more apprehensive as like I said when talking about our Ghosts and Gravestones experience, I’m not the best with this kind of thing.

I really enjoyed the activities in the Halloween Pop-Up even if the crazy golf wasn’t as elaborate as I’d hoped.

We were told to start queuing for the scare maze 10 minutes before our timeslot, however we ended up waiting in that queue for forty minutes before reaching the front. As we got to the front, a large, loud group managed to push their way to the front. However, it was in this queue that we met Able, who gave us our first taste of what was waiting inside. The actor who was playing this role was amazing; he truly embraced the character and gave a lot of us a scare while we were waiting.

Once we got inside the hotel, we were split into groups, and unfortunately the people who had pushed in front of us were with our group. You then wait in your group until it’s your time to enter, there is a bar and atmospheric music playing in this waiting room.

Before entering you are told the two main rules, no phones and no touching the actors (if only the people we were with listened). You are then led to a curtain which you are instructed not to touch (of course this was ignored by the group with us).

Inside the scare maze you are introduced to the storyline (staff and visitors trapped in the hotel via a curse), and then led up and down stairs into various rooms. Unfortunately for us, the group that we were with kept interrupting or overruling the others in the group that we’d been placed in, completely breaking the immersion. They kept having to be told not to touch the actors, not to block doors or pull their phones out, and a lot of the scenes were ruined by their comments. It got so bad that security ended up joining us from the second room, and by the final two room there were three members standing with us to keep an eye on certain members of the group.

This didn’t mean that we didn’t enjoy the experience as a whole. The actors were brilliant, not breaking character and continuing to play the scenes as best as they could. I still managed to get scared at various points despite the interruptions!

Children at Nightmare at the Priory

The organisers of the event have created a toned-down version for children and young teens (5-14 years old) between 4-6pm.

The version we experienced was recommended for 14 years plus, however we did see several little ones in a later group.

Tickets

The tickets have to be purchased in advance and if you are wanting to visit at a specific time make sure to book early to avoid disappointment. We left it a little late, so a lot of the time slots were already full.

Conclusion

We had a really fun experience at Nightmare at the Priory. The activities outside were great entertainment and, like I previously mentioned, the actors were superb.

If you are visiting, please remember to be mindful of the actors and other guests so as not to spoil anyone else’s experience.