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Evenings of Halloween-themed suspense, spooks and surprises are in store at Fonmon Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan from October 16 to October 31.

The ghostly adventures, staged with the help of costumed actors and light show specialists MJ Lights, invite people to explore the beautiful but dark and eerie grounds of the castle’s gardens and woods, unravelling the story of Sir John, the estate’s owner, whose death has taken both him and the estate to hell.

Visitors can expect entertainment and plenty of surprises as they take part in an evening specially designed to support social distancing. Depending on the age of their family members, visitors can opt for an early show at 5pm or a later slot (up to 9pm), knowing that things will get spookier the later it gets.

There will also be daytime toddler-friendly Halloween adventures, running from October 24 – 31, with a focus on fun for tots including the dino walk, access to the playgrounds and costumed staff who will lead games and other fun Halloween-themed activities. The toddler party runs from 10am to 3pm and parents will be given a specific time slot when they purchase their tickets.

The events have been devised by Game of Thrones actor and living history expert Ross O’Hennessy, who runs the Step Through Time medieval village and dinosaur visitor attraction at Fonmon Castle.

“To comply with all our Covid rules and safety we felt it would be good to get people outside and moving – so we decided to give a festive twist to our walled gardens and woodland walk and give the people of South Wales a bit of an atmospheric evening,” he said.

“The aim of the light show is to provide a fun event in these troubling times. We wanted to have a haunted mansion feeling, which is why we decided to go with the story that Sir John has died and his estate has gone to hell…literally. Visitors will move through the gardens and will be met with actors that will bring the story to life and hopefully leave our customers with some fun chills and excitement.”