“If you go down to the woods today…” is set to take on a terrifying new slant this October as an all-new forest-themed Scare Maze joins Alton Towers’ award-winning Scarefest celebrations for 2017.

‘The Welcoming: Be Chosen’ is the latest addition to the Staffordshire resort’s existing line up of Scare Zones and mazes that has seen the Theme Park’s annual ‘Scarefest’ celebrations become one of the biggest and most attended horror events in the UK.

Not only will this new maze provide guests with another intense, spine-tingling walk-through experience for guests to enjoy (or flee from in terror!), but it will also contain special hints and a sneak glimpse at the park’s forthcoming 2018 attraction, currently codenamed ‘Super Weapon 8’.

The resort’s official synopsis for the new maze reads:

“The woods surrounding the village of Alton harbour a mysterious group, which until recent sightings were unseen by the modern. Whispers around the village say that the group are angered by people abusing the world’s natural resources and the rapid advance of technology.

Every year the secluded group host a festival to celebrate their own interpretation of Halloween - paying homage to the earth and celebrating the crossover between the living world and the dead.

The group have recently infiltrated the Alton Towers Resort and for the first time are allowing outsiders to celebrate with them. But what part will you - ‘the outsiders’ - play in this ritual?”

[RELATED] - Read our Review of Alton Towers' 2016 'Scarefest' Celebrations!

As if that didn’t sound terrifying enough, ardent fright fans will also be treated to the return of award winning Scare Mazes from previous years: ‘Sub Species: The End Games’ which features a nightmarish attempt to escape from a post-apocalyptic underground sewage system, the haunting ‘Terror of the Towers’, as well as 2016’s two brilliant newcomers, the terrifying but superbly designed ‘Altonville Mine Tours’, and, for the younger and not quite so hardcore Halloween enthusiasts, ‘House of Monsters’, a spooky yet comedic walkthrough experience aimed at families with children aged 8+

As well as this, ‘Scarefest’ guests can take in additional entertainment such as the ‘Alton Ancestors’ flash mobs, live shows rom ‘The Freaky Four’, scare zones, and the always-welcome opportunity to ride the park’s rides and attractions until 9pm every night. The likes of getting to ride Oblivion and Nemesis in the dark - what more could you want?

Keep your eyes on Midlands Newsquest and nuEditorial.com as Kyle will be bringing a full review of this year’s Scarefest celebrations, as well as live tweeting from the Resort on the 6th & 7th October!

Scarefest 2017 will take place on 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th and every day from 21st to 31st October at the Alton Towers Resort.

Visit altontowers.com/scarefest for more information and to book tickets now!

More details about the Resort’s mysterious new development, coming in 2018, can be found at altontowers.com/sw8.