Wroughton Scarecrow Trail gives village a fright

The two-week long event, which this year has 53 scarecrows scattered across the village, creates a treasure hunt quest for residents to guess the identities of the mystery figures.

Rebecca Gough, now in her third year as an organiser for the event, told the Adver:

“This year’s theme is villains - mainly fictional villains - and you have to look at the clues.

"Some people go to town and are really creative. They do lots of clues, very cryptic.

“Personally I do it more with the children in mind because I’ve got young children and they like to go round and guess and have a bit of fun with it.”

The terrifying theme will feature some of fiction’s best supervillains and Rebecca has picked something appropriately horrific to fit in with this year’s crop of baddies.

She said: ‘We enter every year. Ours is Hannibal Lecter this year - not too scary. He does freak me out a bit every time I go past the gate and see him there.

“A lot of people say that actually, that they’re quite scared by their own scarecrows.”

She added: “Primarily I say it’s a bit of fun. It raises a little bit of money for a good cause. It’s about taking part and having a bit of a laugh really.”

The trail is hoping to raise money for Wroughton Library as well as a new BMX track situated in Maunsell Way.

There are prizes for the scarecrow hunters who can guess the most correct villains as well as the most impressive dressed scarecrow.

Laura Barnes, who made Ursula the octopus from The Little Mermaid, told the Adver: “It’s grown year on year which is great. What I like about it is people get competitive about it.

“Everyone’s upped their game and the scarecrows are quite epic this year.”

“It’s great, it’s families, you get all sorts of people doing the trail and it’s a good excuse for a walk.”

“It’s nice because you see loads of different creative ideas. There’s lots of paper maché.

“There’s a Dalek out there and he is brilliant. it's immense.”