Rebecca Rodney Photography recently spent some time with us at Lakes Escapes. We have a whole new building, a brand new website thanks to Rocket Sites and we needed some new photos that showed off what we have managed to build from nothing. We knew we could rely on Rebecca to show our games in a way that they deserved and one which will hopefully take away some of the unknown for our new customers. Take a look at Rebeccas blog below and see what she made of her time with us.
Over the past month I have been given the amazing project of capturing Lakes Escapes in their new premise.
Lakes Escapes- Cumbria’s premier live escape room is based in Workington and first opened in 2017. The company is owned by Carol and John Watson who along with their fabulous team of game masters, run the escape games every day of the week. The escape games first home was Peart Road and run successfully there for just under 2 years. In February 2019, after many months of hard work from this dedicated duo, they opened their new premise on Stanley Street.
The new home of Lakes Escapes
The concept of the games are that you have 60 minutes to solve a series of puzzles and codes in order to escape. Of course the game master is at hand to provide clues when requested (and please don’t freak out, they don’t actually lock you in the room, we all know how many health and safety rules this would break!). Of course the puzzles aren’t just any boring, old, mundane puzzles, they are themed to match the objective of the room (and might I add very cleverly created by John and Carol). The current rooms available are Baker street, Quest for the throne and Dr Frankenscraft’s Monster – see photos for a sneak peak – no spoilers though. The rooms have been hand built by the couple and all the details are brilliantly crafted, the time and effort put in to make the rooms feel realistic will not go unnoticed. The reason I believe the business has progressed so will is down to the dedication and commitment of Carol and John, but also the enjoyment they get from watching their customers play (they also travel up and down the country trying out other Escape rooms in a constant bid to develop and improve what they offer here in Cumbria).
Baker StreetQuest for the throneDr Frankenscraft’s monster
John is currently in the process of building yet another room which they hope to open soon, and I know they have many brilliant ideas for the future at their new premise. Other than the amount of space and possibility for several more games, the major perk of the new home for Lakes Escapes is the disabled access. Carol and John both hated having to turn down customers at the old premise due to the lack of access and are overjoyed that they can now welcome all customers to take part in the fun.
The people of Cumbria are always saying they need more to do, and these games are just that. Fantastic for families, parties, time with friends, teambuilding and of course tourists enjoying the Lake District. For more information and to get yourself booked in check out their website https://www.lakesescapes.co.uk or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lakesescaperooms/.
An escape room is where we put your team in a themed room and you must try and escape by solving puzzles and challenges. You will have 60 minutes to complete the mission. Each game is for 2-6 people however Casino Heist and Diamond Mine can accommodate up to 8 players.
What is the Diamond Mine experience?
The Diamond Mine is different to our escape room experiences as instead of you all going into one room and playing the game together you will take on mini challenges. The mini challenges are in different themed spaces and the games are 1 or 2 players and range from 25 seconds to 5 minutes each. The full team will participate throughout and take turns to encourage and advice (or abuse and mock) their team mates. The games are a variety of skill, physical, mental and memory and is suitable for players 7 years and above. Teams under the age of 14yrs need an adult with them at all times.
Do you have a customer car park?
We have a large, free car park for our customers so you don't need to worry about finding somewhere to leave your car or having charge to pay for parking.
Do you organise corporate team building and private events?
Yes! Our experiences are perfect for team building exercises and group fun.
Who can experience the games?
The experiences are for people of all backgrounds and genders who love puzzles and interactive challenges. Please note that children under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by an adult in the escape games and children under the age of 14 will need to be accompanied by an adult in Diamond Mine. We do not allow anyone under the age of 7yrs.
What are your opening hours?
We are open from 10.00am to 10.00pm, Mondays to Sundays. Booking in advance is required. If its less than 2 hours before the game please call us to check availability.
What do I need to bring and what should I wear?
We would recommend you to wear comfortable clothes and shoes you can move around in.
When should I arrive and where is it?
We recommend teams to arrive at the time they booked ready for your briefing and introduction.
How much would it cost and how can I book the tickets?
Our prices will vary per person depending on the size of the group. The more players in a booking, the cheaper it is! Bookings can be reserved through our online booking system and will require a minimum group of 2 people to a maximum of 8 people for selected rooms.
I am claustrophobic; can I play?
All our games have good size rooms with a reasonable ceiling height. Players are also free to exit the rooms at any time during the game. Speak to any member of our team if you have any concerns.
Are your escape rooms hard?
Each of our rooms is designed to be a challenge, but they are not unbeatable! Every room is solvable if you work as a team. We recommend that players who are new to escape games do not play the most difficult rated games until they are familiar with the concept.
How does the game end?
Either you are successful and you achieve the game objective or you run out of time and the game is over.
Are you wheelchair accessible?
We are delighted to advise that we can accommodate wheelchair users in all games apart from Prison Break. There are ramps available to enter the building, so please ensure you let us know of your needs, and there are permanent ramps placed at all fire escapes.
Some of the activities in the Diamond Mine are not suitable for wheelchairs but many are and players can still participate in the experience.
Do you have somewhere I could wait whilst others play?
In order to provide the best possible experience for all of our customers we run with staggered start times and we do not mix groups. We're afraid we do not have a waiting area for anyone who isn't playing one of our games.
Can I bring my dog?
We love dogs here at Lakes Escapes and you will often find our own trying to sneak out to greet you. You are welcome to bring yours with you so long as they are clean, dry, well behaved and house trained.
