A mystery organisation with links to the military are doing research in the dense forest. But when you’re alone, you meet terrifying creatures in the dense shrubbery, who have already claimed many of those who have trekked through the forest before.

Roots of Evil was born to fill a gap in Thorpe’s 2020 line up, which was of course hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Replacing Blair Witch, the maze was outside and could only be experienced in small groups. 

Before entering the forest section, the maze had an extensive pre-show sequence. This first took place in what was the Jungle Escape pre show (now Trailers finale and pre show area), where scientists explained they were doing reseach. You were then led to a military base, where the army were planning their next moves. The story was vague throughout the pre-show, but featured many actors who created a panic and sense of urgency.

The military led you into the forest, and left you alone. This part of the maze was exactly like Blair Witch, meaning it featured dense woodland and felt secluded. Being in smaller groups (at most 6) meant that you felt very alone and cut off. Due to thick shrubbery and trees throughout the layout, there weren’t many places where actors could be 2m away from guests (again, a necessary restriction due to the pandemic), meaning there weren’t many actors in this section.

The ending featured a more open, and chaotic, shed sequence, which is where more actors were based.

Though Roots of Evil didn’t offer anything different to previous mazes, it made the best out of the bad situation of the pandemic, offering a newer experience for guests at a time when there was a great deal of uncertainty about whether scare attractions could even operate. With the park moving towards indoor, paid experiences, Roots of Evil was never going to last, and wasn’t worth the upcharge.

However, it served its purpose and the secluded, creepy atmosphere was something which will be hard to recapture!