A free Halloween display at 56 Mendip Road, CM1 2HP, is open until 31 October, raising money for Alzheimer's Society. Here is what to see and how to give.

A family home in Chelmsford has turned its front garden into a free Halloween attraction for the whole of October, and is asking visitors to put something in the pot for Alzheimer’s Society while they look.

The Haunting at 56 is at 56 Mendip Road, Chelmsford, CM1 2HP, and runs from Monday 5 October to Saturday 31 October 2026. It costs nothing to visit. Donations go through the organiser’s JustGiving page, and there are QR codes at the house.

Amanda Appleby, who created it, wrote to us to explain why:

“I’ve created this attraction to give local families something fun and memorable to enjoy without worrying about the cost, while raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society.”

Poster for The Haunting at 56: 56 Mendip Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2HP, 5th to 31st October 2026, completely free to visit, scan to donate via JustGiving, raising funds in aid of Alzheimer's Society
The Haunting at 56 poster, with the address, the dates and the QR code for donations. Photo: supplied by Amanda Appleby

From decorations to a fundraiser

On the appeal page the family describe how the display grew out of their own Halloween decorations:

“Every year, our house gets a little more haunted… but this year, we’re giving the scares a purpose. What started as our Halloween decorations has grown into something much bigger. This October, we’re turning our spooky little corner of Chelmsford into a Halloween experience for everyone to enjoy.”

They promise “ghosts, ghouls, creepy characters, ridiculous amounts of Halloween madness, photo opportunities and plenty of spooky surprises”, and say the display will get “bigger and scarier throughout the month”. The poster lists spooky displays, lights, props and music.

A tall frame wrapped in orange tinsel with a ghost on top, in front of a brick house hung with cobwebs and purple lights
A ghost on a tinsel-wrapped frame in the front garden at 56 Mendip Road. Photo: via The Haunting at 56 appeal

The photographs on the appeal page show the front of the house hung with cobwebs and purple lights, ghosts on the walls and on a tinsel-wrapped frame, gravestones in the lawn, a figure behind a lit upstairs window and a bin store turned into a “Psychiatric Isolation Room”.

A figure lit in blue behind a ground floor window, with cobwebs and a gravestone in the flower bed below
A figure lit behind a front window, with a gravestone in the bed below. Photo: via The Haunting at 56 appeal

The family’s invitation is simple:

“Everyone is welcome to stop by, take a look, grab a photo and soak up the spooky atmosphere. And if you’d like to support Alzheimer’s Society while you’re here, simply scan one of our QR codes and make a donation.”

A skull-patterned cloth draped on a frame in the front garden, with a ghost on top and lit windows behind
Skull cloth and a ghost on the frame by the front path. Photo: via The Haunting at 56 appeal

Why Alzheimer’s Society

“There’s a reason behind all the Halloween madness,” the appeal page says.

“Dementia affects millions of people and the families who love and care for them. Alzheimer’s Society provides vital support to people living with dementia today, while funding research and working towards a future where dementia no longer devastates lives.”

And on the visitors who only slow down for a look:

“So whether you visit for the decorations, stop for a photo, grab a Halloween treat, scan a QR code or simply pull over for a better look… you’ll be helping us turn a little bit of Halloween fun into something that can make a real difference. Every penny raised matters.”

A wooden bin store covered in cobwebs with a sign reading Psychiatric Isolation Room and a spider on the door, under a pink lit window with a bat
The bin store, now the "Psychiatric Isolation Room", under a pink-lit window. Photo: via The Haunting at 56 appeal

The fundraising has the charity’s backing in writing. A letter of authority from Alzheimer’s Society (registered charity 296645), dated 7 October and signed by Angelina Harrington-Malaugh, the charity’s regional fundraiser for Essex, confirms that Amanda is raising money for it through the month with the display. “I fully support Amanda in her fundraising efforts,” the letter says. It also makes clear the event is organised by Amanda, not by the charity.

The same letter gives the charity’s figures: 1 million people living with dementia in the UK, a number it says is predicted to rise to over two million by 2051.

Cobwebs stretched across a front garden towards a railing with skeleton decorations and a yellow skull
Cobwebs and skeleton props by the railing. Photo: via The Haunting at 56 appeal

How much has been raised

When we checked the JustGiving page on Sunday 11 October, it had raised £55 from five donations, plus £13.75 in Gift Aid, towards a £300 target. The page runs until the end of January 2027, so gifts can still be made after the display comes down.

The display also has a Facebook page.

Wide view of the decorated front garden at dusk, with a tinsel frame, gravestones, coloured lights and ghosts on the brick wall
The front of 56 Mendip Road at dusk. Photo: via The Haunting at 56 appeal

What it means for you

  • Where: 56 Mendip Road, Chelmsford, CM1 2HP.
  • When: until Saturday 31 October 2026. Neither the poster nor the appeal page gives viewing times.
  • Cost: free. Donations are optional, by QR code at the house or online at justgiving.com/page/thehauntingat56.
  • Remember it is a family home on a residential road, so be considerate of the neighbours.

For everything else on across the city this month, including the ticketed scare events, see our Chelmsford Halloween events and half-term pages.