During the 12 nights that the event runs, fright lovers can explore five horror mazes full of scare actors, street theatre, food & drink, and live music from new resident band Jukebox.

The five horror mazes:

• Red (New for 2018) - Scare Factor 8. A terrifying take on Little Red Riding Hood which is certainly no fairy tale, with instantly recognisable scenes that have been given a dark twist. We were really impressed with how immersive this attraction was, because despite being housed entirely in farm buildings it really felt like you were wandering through a deep dark wood to find Grandma's cottage. Without giving any spoilers, we weren't disappointed by Red, Grandma or the Big Bad Wolf.
  
  
• The Attic (New for 2018) - Scare Factor 8. This extensive horror maze is set across two levels, with a lengthy build up to ascending the steps up into The Attic. Once upstairs the action really intensifies and it's quite disorientating - so much so that our group took a wrong turn and ended up in a hidden passage before realising our error and going back. Unfortunately the downstairs portions were very light on actors, except for the final room which provided some very personal interaction!
  
  
• Toppers Twister - Scare Factor 7. In many ways a classic clown-based scare attraction with a large curtain maze to start, but taking advantage of some larger spaces to include sets representing a children's play area and ball pool. If you're scared of clowns, you will no doubt find this terrifying, and for others it's still good fun.
  
  
• The Shed - Scare Factor 9. The event really cranked up a notch with our next experience, in an elaborate warren of junk filled rooms and with scare actors hiding in every corner. It was incredibly loud throughout, with no end of banging and crashing, along with the screams of poor victims (visitors). An excellent use of tight spaces and dim lighting created a suitable environment for some great scares. One particular scene had our group outnumbered by the actors and got the excitement levels up. A very effective finale had us running out!
  
  
• Squealers Yard - Scare Factor 9. We certainly saved the best for last, and were part of a particularly nervous group which made the whole experience so much more entertaining. It was soon apparent that we were to be the pigs going off to slaughter, and it begins with an amusing opener in which your group is split up into prime cuts and cheap meat. The maze of narrow alleys led us in and out of a series of indoor sections, including a horse box and a delivery van, leading up to an epic finale in a smoke and strobe filled shipping container occupied by a big guy wielding a chainsaw. We were falling onto each other like skittles!

There was a great selection of food on offer (making use of the farm's normal cafe rather than relying on temporary food trailers), drinks were available from the Hearse and Hound Bar, and we enjoyed some good live music by the resident band. We were also kept entertained by the roaming characters, which included a family of inbred hillbillies, as well as a rather gruesome monster!

Although on a much smaller scale than its big brother, Tulleys Shocktober Fest, the event maintains the same level of quality.

The Howl runs on select nights until 3 November from 6.30pm at Mead Open Farm near Leighton Buzzard. For best value tickets, grab your mates and book online in advance at www.thehowl.co.uk