The Dungeon attraction at Merlin’s Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire has now officially opened – the sixth to open in the UK.

The attraction replaces the former Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride at the theme park, with that ride permanently closing in 2015.

23 actors, wearing 309 garments and using a raft of props, will entertain and scare visitors, transporting them back in time to history’s more gruesome periods throughout the 45-minute long experience.

Visitors board a boat on the Black River and are transported in before entering an array of rooms, including a court and a torture chamber where characters choose a participant to frighten.

"The team have worked really hard to deliver the right balance of scariness and laughter and guests on opening weekend certainly enjoyed the range of creepy characters in the Dungeon – particularly those who had spent time in the Torturer’s chair," said Chris Carter, head of entertainments for Alton Towers Resort.

"Many guests hadn’t visited a Dungeon before so were intrigued and delighted by what they found. The Dungeon is a fantastic addition to Alton Towers and we hope guests will continue to enjoy this journey through Staffordshire’s horrible history."

The other five Dungeons in the UK are located in London, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Warwick and York. There are others worldwide in destinations as far-flung as Hamburg, Amsterdam, San Francisco and Shanghai.