Headless horseman returns to Blenheim Palace for Halloween

The trail, open until Sunday, November 3, offers a "blend of eerie enchantment and fun for the entire family".

Blenheim said it is "inviting guests to experience the haunted estate as never before with a mix of scary scenes and a creepy cast of live actors".

Blenheim Palace's Halloween trail (Image: Oliver Dixon) Blenheim Palace's Halloween trail (Image: Oliver Dixon) As night falls at the palace near Woodstock, the headless horseman roams the grounds, "his presence warning all that the spooks only grow stronger as darkness deepens".

The trail leads to the giant King of the Pumpkins, surrounded by glowing gourds lighting up the area.

Nearby, the ringmaster of a haunted circus "beckons guests into his chilling world of monstrous mirrors and oversized jack-in-the-boxes".

Further along, fire performers entertain against the night sky.

Blenheim Palace's Halloween trail (Image: Oliver Dixon) In the Secret Garden, Dr Frankenstein and his assistant Igor are found in their electrifying lab.

Throughout the grounds, there are "sinister scarecrows, wicked witches, and horrible highwaymen".

The spider tunnel is filled with "creeping spiders and the echoing caws of 50 ominous crows," while hidden gravestones, skeletons, and skulls "await around every corner".

There will also be live actors "embodying everything from beastly body-snatchers to ghastly spirits," offering am "immersive" Halloween experience and a "frightful feast for the senses".