Halloween 2023: Fundraising Orton family throw open their spooky, Harry Potter-themed house to the public

A Peterborough family who have gone all-out for Halloween are daring Peterborians to come and walk through their ghoulish haunted house.

Chantelle Demeur-Worlding and her family, who live in Howland, Orton Goldhay, have turned their home into a mini Halloween theme park, with elaborate decorations inside and out.

“From tonight (October 25), we’re opening up the house for a couple of hours (7-9pm) every night,” Chantelle said.

Fog machines, spooky lights, jump-scares and animatronics that make disturbing noises are just a few of the effects which – combined with the disturbing decor – are sure to test visitors’ nerves (watch our video above to get a taste of the full effect).

As well as being frightful fun, Chantelle says the ‘Walk Through’ will offer plentiful photo ops:

“We’ve gone for a Harry Potter theme,” she explained, “so people can take photos of themselves with a trolley going through platform 9 ¾, and next to [Harry’s] most wanted sign.”

“There’s even a coffin out the front where people can get in and take a photo.”

Though there is no admission charge, Chantelle is hoping visitors will donate generously to the charity the family is raising funds for.

“This year we’re raising money for Niemann-Pick UK,” she explained.

Chantelle and her family chose this charity because her niece, four-year-old Kara Clapton, was diagnosed with the extremely rare, life-limiting neurodegenerative disease earlier this year.

The time and effort taken to get the family home ready int time for half-term has been considerable.

“It’s taken us three weeks to set up,” Chantelle said, adding “we were painting until midnight last night just to get the hall black.”

Unsurprisingly, Chantelle, her husband and their four children are all massive Halloween fans.

That said, the effect of the revamp has had a less than positive effect on their three-year-old son.

“I have to hold his hand to walk through the downstairs,” Chantelle noted: “He likes pumpkins but anything with ghost faces - no way!”

This is the second year running Chantelle and her family have opened their home to visitors on Halloween.

“We had a wonderful response last year,” she recalled, “someone even drove down from Grantham to see us.”

“This year is bigger and better!”