Kent’s spookiest days out for kids at Halloween
Prepare for Scary Season with these great ideas.
Halloween was once a simple affair. A day and night of activity on 31 October, culminating in an hour of trick-or-treating at the neighbours’ houses. But now that these shores have been infected by enormous American enthusiasm for all things spooky, the festival now goes on for weeks.
Here’s our selection of the creepiest things to do with the kids in Kent this Halloween.
1. Go ghost hunting
A mysterious character in a top hat and cloak will greet willing participants on the Canterbury Ghost Tours for a sinister twilight stroll of the medieval city.
Find out what horrifying tragedy befell a mother and her children in a local tearoom, or what the Canterbury Cathedral guards often encounter on their nightly checks. Maybe the curious tale of the man who beat his wife but was paid back with justice will hit the spot.
The man under the cloak is John Hippisley who has been delicately chilling the spines of people for more than 20 years. “Kids are welcome, and the fare is relatively light and minimal on the gruesomeness and grot,” he says.
A tour of Chislehurst Caves – long rumoured to be haunted by a selection of ghosts, including a woman pushing a pram, a druid and a black dog – offers a similar spook. A night time tour around Fort Amherst – said to be one of Kent’s most paranormally active places – should do the trick too.
Remember: The ghostliness might not be suitable for the very young, but perfect for the over 8s.
Time check: Canterbury Ghost Tours usually last 90 minutes.
2. Discover the winding tunnels of Fort Amherst
There’s a good chance you’ve passed by Fort Amherst and not given it a second thought. It’s time to change that.
Originally built during Napoleonic times to prepare for a possible invasion against the local dockyards, Chatham’s strategic fort was also used as a civil defence centre during both world wars. Since then, it has been in a near-constant state of repair and restoration.
But today it offers some fantastic tunnel tours to intrigue and entertain the family. Not only do you get to understand how the tunnels have been used for the last 300 years by the military, you also get to explore the incredible network of underground tunnels – and hear one or two ghost stories along the way.
3. Explore miles of underground mystery
Chislehurst Caves are a series of man-made tunnels and caverns stretching some 22 miles. They were originally dug back in Medieval times to mine flint and chalk. Since then they have enjoyed a rich and varied history about which you will learn on an hour-long guided tour in the darkness.
The First World War saw the caves used as an ammunition store; in the 1930s the tunnels were used to grow mushrooms; and by the time the Second World War arrived, they made a perfect air raid shelter, housing thousands of people and fitted with lighting and toilets, a chapel and hospital.
All of these facts are buoyed by a wealth of stories told by the venue’s exuberant roster of guides who will take you on an underground voyage of historical and mythical discovery. Tours leave every hour on the hour and you must stick with your guide at all times. Most of the passageways are pitch black and you’d struggle to find your way out if you get lost.
Did you know? David Bowie, Status Quo, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones all played gigs in the caves during the 1960s.
Note: The tours might not be suitable for the very young as the darkness might be too much.
Top tip: Remember to wear boots or trainers. And it can get cold down there – much colder than outside during Summer. Oh, and there are no toilets in the caves.
4. Run around old ruins
Anybody lucky enough to traversed what is left of Corfe Castle, one of Dorset’s most popular tourist spots, will appreciate that the ruins of an impressive old building can be just as impressive (if not, more impressive) than simply an old building. Step forward then, Kent’s most spectacularly ruined buildings, sites where you can ponder the historical significance of what once towered over you while the kids run riot in the shadows.
Bayham Old Abbey, teetering on the Kent-Sussex border is wonderous. The English Heritage-owned site is dominated by the jagged, golden sandstone 13th-century church, chapter house, and slightly older gatehouse. And it’s set in grounds designed by Humphry Repton, he of London’s Kenwood House fame.
In Canterbury, check out what’s left of the wooden motte and bailey castle known as Dane John. It was built in 1066 and became a prison during the 13th century. Today, you can just about make out the lower half of the castle’s keep.
Alternatively, Eynsford Castle, standing in the heart of the picturesque village, not far from Brands Hatch, is full of intrigue. Abandoned in the 1300s, the full height surviving walls will help the youngsters to mentally recreate what went before.
Beware! At Bayham, climbing on the ruins is strictly prohibited.
Just down the road: Lullingstone Roman Villa, not far from Eynsford, will let you extend the history lesson further back in time.
5. Scramble through secret wartime tunnels
Not to ignore the scale and splendour of Dover Castle itself, but a real highlight of a visit to the most iconic of England’s fortresses is what lies underneath.
The Secret Wartime Tunnels tells the brilliant story of Operation Dynamo, the 1940 rescue of British troops from Dunkirk – a crucial turning point in our history as a nation – which was masterminded from deep inside the tunnels buried under Dover’s White Cliffs. An immersive, child-friendly tour gives a sense of the drama, as the events of the evacuation are played out via visual and audio props, special effects and film projections.
Once you’ve endured the screech of overhead Spitfires and boom of anti-aircraft guns, the tour continues through some of the original rooms used by the army, all dressed as they would have been during the Second World War. Pass through the eerie underground hospital and experience the sounds, smells and atmosphere of rooms used as operating theatres and wards as war triggered anxiety across Britain.
Plan ahead: The tunnels can get chilly during colder months so wrap up warm.
Time check: Tunnel tours last for the best part of an hour and teams of insightful guides set off every 20 minutes.
6. Go pumpkin picking
Picking, carving and window-displaying pumpkins has become as traditional as hanging a stocking for Santa. And so, from early October Kent’s farmers give their fields over to the bright orange fruit.
Grab a wheelbarrow and take the kids on a pumpkin picking odyssey in search of the perfect specimen. There are hundreds of different sorts, shapes and sizes to choose from, in a variety of states of growth – from tiny green ones still attached to their vines to ginormous beasts you’ll struggle to lift off the ground.
Head to Beluncle Farm in Rochester, Saffery Farm in Faversham, Pumpkin Patch at Stanhill Farm in Wilmington, or Chilton Manor Farm in Sittingbourne. Alternatively, Pumpkin Moon has two farms – one on the outskirts of Maidstone and one in Rainham.
Top tip: make sure your pumpkin sits nicely on a flat surface (otherwise it will topple over). Plus, round or oval pumpkins carve more easily.
For more great ideas for spending better time with the kids in Kent, buy a copy of 237 Ideas for Stuff to Do and Places to Go in Kent with Kids.
