Make your 🗝️ escape..

Canterbury’s Number 1 Rated Fun Activity on Tripadvisor!

Escape in the Towers is set within England’s largest surviving medieval gateway 🏰 and Canterbury’s atmospheric former city jail 🗝️ - a one of a kind setting for your escape room adventure! Explore our experiences below..

Crime & Punishment Lab

An atmospheric and sinister adventure set within the original cells of Canterbury’s former city jail!

You’ve stumbled across Dr Wellington’s abandoned Crime & Punishment Lab founded in 1883, Dr Wellington based his controversial crime and punishment experiments in the treacherous cells of the former city gaol which has since laid abandoned for 80 years after his sudden and mysterious disappearance - Death is just the final nail in the coffin.

Key Skill
Puzzle & problem solving

Style
Classic escape room adventure

Recognition
Featured in The Guardian

The Comms Room

A dramatic and high tension WW2 Blitz experience with chaos unfolding around you as if in your own blockbuster movie!

You’re thrown in at the deep end to replace the recently deceased former Air Raid Warden Mr Parsons. Your job is to defend Canterbury from a barrage of air attacks by deploying air defences and performing your duties, all the while unravelling the mystery of an unknown traitor sabotaging your every step.

Key Skill
Teamwork

Style
Immersive experience

Recognition
Finalist two years in a row in the Top Escape Rooms Project Awards

Magna Carta Murder

An epic adventure romping through what must be one of the world’s oldest and largest escape room settings!

You’re unexpectedly at the centre of a daring raid on one of England’s famous Magna Carta manuscripts on loan to the Westgate Towers museum. The adventure unfolds in the epic after hours setting of the museum itself within England’s largest surviving Medieval gateway.

Key Skills
Observation & puzzle solving

Style
A blend of classic escape room adventure & immersive experience

5.0 Tripadvisor Ranking & Travellers’ Choice Awards

  • Set within a one of a kind heritage setting

    Find yourself immersed in our 3 truly unique heritage settings. Escape In The Towers is set within Canterbury's former city gaol built in the 1830s and England’s largest surviving medieval gateway. Packed full of atmosphere and intrigue, it is the perfect setting for your escape room adventure.

  • Relive the best bits with a food & drink discount!

    Included with your game is a discount for you to enjoy a 10% discount in our ground floor bar & restaurant voted ‘Kent’s Best Bar’. Perfect for reliving the best bits of your game with your teammates!
    Also enjoy free entry to the Museum & Viewpoint [during opening hours].

  • A unique family & team bonding experience

    Play with friends, family, colleagues or on a date! Escape In The Towers offers a one of a kind live action experience with theme park quality settings and puzzles to test your abilities in teams of 2-5 players. The aim of the game is to escape by solving clues, puzzles and finding combinations and keys!

Escape Room
FAQs

  • Escape games are be booked online up to 2 hours before a game slot. Players must be 10+.

    Pricing
    5 Players £27
    4 Players £29
    3 Players £32
    2 Players £35

    Game Times
    10:30am
    [Friday, Saturday, Sunday only], 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, 8:30pm

    Please Note
    Magna Carta Murder only bookable up to 3 weeks in advance because it shares some areas with our event space The Guard Chamber. Please check back 3 weeks before your desired date for when the slots become available.

  • Age Restrictions
    Children aged 10-16
    are permitted to take part if accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult aged 18+ and must be supervised at all times. Some game themes such as war and punishment may be unsuitable for some.

    Cancellations and Refunds
    You can request a cancellation and refund for a full-priced booking up to 24 hours before it is due to start. Cancellations within 24 hours of a game’s start time are unfortunately non-refundable due to the allocation of staff members.

    Arrival
    You should arrive 15 minutes before your booking so that you are ready to play at your game time. If you are running late please let us know as soon as you can, unfortunately any late arrival could reduce your 60 minute game time as we have to be ready for the next booking which includes a 30 minute reset of the game.

    Alcohol
    Your utmost care and attention is required to escape from the towers safely. Any players who arrive intoxicated will be refused entry, in these circumstances refunds are not available.

  • What’s an Escape Room?
    You and your team have 60 minutes to escape from one of 3 escape room experiences, the aim of the game is to escape by solving clues, puzzles and finding combinations and keys as you find yourself immersed in a truly unique and atmospheric setting.

    Arriving For Your Game
    Our friendly Gamemasters will welcome you on the ground floor at your game time. If you arrive early you can enjoy food & drinks in The Pound Bar & Restaurant while you wait. There’s plenty of WCs to use either in The Pound or up the tower stairs on the first floor.

    Briefing & Debriefing
    There’s time for a 15 minute briefing before your game where your Gamemaster will share any important information and provide you with any tips you need if you’re new to escape rooms [careful they’re addictive!] and a 15 minute debriefing to recap any highlights of your escape!

    During Your Game
    You have 60 minutes to escape! Your Gamemaster will help you along the way with clues if needed!

    After Your Game
    The Pound Bar & Restaurant on the ground floor is ideal to relive the best bits of your game with your teammates! Enjoy your 10% discount on food and drinks and sit in one of our 3 beautifully restored police station cells.

  • Accessibility
    Because of the restrictions of our heritage building [a scheduled monument and listed building] the only access to The Crime & Punishment Lab is via 4 flights of stairs. The Comms Room is on the ground floor but has a narrow doorways and corridor and is only accessible from a narrow path after crossing the road. Magna Carta Murder involves multiple flights of spiral stairs and is set on the first floor. Please contact us if you would like any further information on accessibility.

  • Parking is available in Pound Lane Car Park, North Lane Car Park, or Millers Field Car Park. Register here on the Canterbury City Council website for ticketless parking, simply drive in and drive out!

    Canterbury West train station is just 5 minutes walk with services to the coast, Ashford & highspeed to London St Pancras International in just 56 minutes.

  • Can I play with medical conditions or mobility issues?
    The games may not be suitable for people with limited mobility, people with sensory deficit, or people with other medical conditions that may be exacerbated by sudden or loud noises, darkness, stress, fear, confined spaces or crawling.

    Are there special effects?
    Yes we use theatrical smoke, strobe lighting, flashing lights and loud music to immerse you in our stories.

    Are the games scary?
    Escape In The Towers games are set within a real gaol [prison] built in 1380 and 1830. This gives it a natural eerie atmosphere but it is not designed to be scary. It does, however, feature darkness, loud noises, heightened tension, surprises and themes that some people may find uncomfortable. With the exception of the brief introduction to Magna Carta Murder there are no actors inside the room, just you and your team.

    How many people can play?
    Our rooms are designed for 2 to 5 players [This number is limited because of the size of the game spaces]. Larger teams can split over multiple rooms.

    Are there any confined spaces?
    There are no confined spaces in our games, however the nature of the original prison cells may feel claustrophobic to some, but no spaces are smaller than the briefing areas.

    Am I locked in?
    In the Crime & Punishment Lab and The Comms Room players are locked into the room but can exit at any point by pressing the emergency exit buttons to exit the room. Magna Carta Murder is open.

    Are we on our own in the room?
    All of our escape room adventures are private, so you will never have to share your game with strangers. There are no actors inside the room, however in Magna Carta Murder your Gamemaster may assist you inside the room at certain points.

    What should I wear and can I store my possessions?
    We suggest you wear comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty or potentially damaged. It is advised that clothes and shoes are well-fitting. Coats and bags can be left with your Gamemaster in the private briefing room which is covered by CCTV.

    Are escape rooms dangerous?
    Safety is our primary concern. We have gone to every length to ensure our escape rooms are safe and fun to play in. Players are free to exit the game at any point using exit buttons. Your Gamemaster monitors your game on CCTV [and audio] in the room next to you. However, this is a live action escape game and you will need to exercise all of the caution you would do in the real world. If you are careless or use force you may injure yourself or others. You play at your own risk and a full safety briefing is given beforehand.

Give the gift if an escape adventure!

Gift vouchers are available on the booking page, they make ideal gifts for friends and family if you’re looking for a fun activity and a memory they’ll treasure forever. Either enter the recipients email address to be sent directly to them, or use your own details so you can print it and give it to them in person!

Belinda [Tripadvisor]

“Definitely the best birthday present 🎁 i’ve ever had. I expected it to be good, because of the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews i’d read, but it went beyond that. The whole experience was intriguing, interesting, but above all fun. My son and i worked together as a team, and i was amazed at how focused and brilliant he was at solving some of the puzzles that i found difficult. 😍 Proud to say that we did complete it in the time, and now i can’t wait to do another one. This was the first time we had ever done an escape room 🗝️.”

Enjoy a 10% discount in The Pound Bar & Restaurant!

Enjoy a 10% discount in the bar and restaurant on the ground floor included with your escape, perfect for celebrating your escape with food and drinks!