Hauntingly

Halloween at Kew is back for its third year and it’s even more spectacular than ever

Kew Gardens – the world famous botanical garden nestled in West London is famed for its serene and tranquil atmosphere.

Nothing can beat whiling away the hours, meandering through the vast open space with some of the oldest, most impressive and most endangered plants, trees and flowers on the planet.

The calm that befalls people when they amble into the Palm House, soon to undergo an incredible multi-million transformation where every pane of glass will be replaced, or the Temperate House, should be bottled and sold – it would make the world a far nicer place.

However, as soon as October hits and darkness falls, Kew Gardens is transformed into a terrifying Halloween wonderland of ghouls, witches, Egyptian mummies, spectres and monsters – and it’s genuinely both awe-inspiring and a little bit terrifying.

The younger sibling of the botanical gardens Kew at Christmas, Halloween at Kew first burst onto the light trail scene two years ago and is so popular it’s definitely here to stay.

Running for two weeks until November 1, the trail is suitable for all ages and comes in three time slots – warning, I’m a fully grown adult and the later slot definitely sent shivers up my spine.

There are daylight sessions for little ones (or those not keen to be spooked) with the absolute bare minimum of scaries, a twilight slot between 6pm and 7.30pm where things are certainly getting a little spookier as the sun starts to disappear and the moonlight session from 7.30pm onwards, where everything is completely dark – and scarier.

Now, full disclaimer, I am an absolute wimp. I will not watch horror films because I get so frightened I start to cry and even cartoons have been known to make me jump.

With this in mind, one of the more intense Halloween experiences on offer around the country is definitely not something I want to be experiencing, but having been an avid fan of Christmas at Kew, there was no way I was passing up the chance to see what the brains behind the stunning light trails could cook up for Halloween – and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

From the very off it’s both magical and just the right side of spooky – a stunning tree, bedecked in ghoulish green lights with a real cloaked horseman (with his head I must say) guarding it, onto an enchanted tunnel of pumpkins and a witch cooking up spells in the front garden of a cottage in the woods.

Next up is the Egyptian section. You are warned before entering – this light trail is very interactive – things could get a little spooky. A mummy (don’t worry, yhey don’t touch you) growls at walkers as they make their way through. Even though I knew this wasn’t real, I have to confess I jumped about six feet in the air when he popped up.

What makes Kew at Halloween so spookily magical isn’t just the huge array of lights, concepts and scary scenes before you… it’s also the music and soundtrack as you walk through the black as night garden.

From ghostly moans, to creaking doors in grave yards, to a sinister and chilling sound track as you move through woodland filled with chilling cloaked figures, you really feel totally immersed in the whole experience.

From vampires putting on shows, the pumpkin patches with a real life dancing Mr Pumpkin head and haunted tractors, from giant disco skeletons (these have to be seen to be believed) to pagan gods lining the walkways, there really is nothing that hasn’t been thought of and whoever dreamt this up is an absolute genius.

We took part in the moonlight walk and there were many moments where I was genuinely unsettled and at times really frightened. If you’re parents to younger children – and there were a few on the walk in our time slot – I would recommend taking them to an earlier one. There were plenty of tears in the pitch black spooky world.

But this really is a family friendly experience. The interactive characters along the way add enormously to the fun and there are plenty of places to stop for food, a hot chocolate, or to toast marshmallows (and even something stronger if you feel your nerves need it).

So, yes, Kew is already a magical place in daylight hours, make sure you run don’t walk to get your tickets for Halloween at Kew to see this incredible offering after dark.

Tickets for Halloween at Kew start at £19.50 and family tickets are available.