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The concept of mazes grew in popularity up to the eighteenth century, especially with European royalty who saw a fun opportunity to entertain guests. Gentlemen in particular also used the clandestine winding paths to entertain ladies in secret. Whilst nobody outside of royalty can attest to a maze in their back garden, Brits have retained a love for visiting them. As such, many remain in Britain today.
Here are some of the best.
Hampton Court Palace, London
The world’s most well-known and officially the UK’s oldest surviving hedge maze. Commissioned by William III, it covers a third of an acre and takes twenty minutes to reach the centre.
It’s a puzzle-type maze, which means there are many red-herring paths and dead ends.
You can only visit the maze with a ticket to Hampton Court, which makes a day out well worth the money.
Longleat Maze, Wiltshire
The biggest maze in Britain, it also used to be the biggest in the world. The maze, which was introduced to the Longleat estate in 1978, can take between 20 and 90 minutes to crack.
The maze contains a staggering 16,000 English yew trees which cover winding paths spanning almost two miles.
Dragonfly Maze, Gloucestershire
Another traditional yew tree maze but certainly one with a difference. In addition to trying to make your way to the centre, you also have to crack 14 clues in order to reveal the Golden Dragonfly.
Visitors should allow around 20-30 minutes to complete the maze.
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
The Marlborough Maze on the grounds of Blenheim Palace is best known for its incorporation of a V sign to honour Winston Churchill, who was born at the palace.
The maze is two miles long and made up of hundreds of yew trees. Every October, it takes six hedge trimmers one week to prune the many yew hedges.
Noah’s Ark Maze, Somerset
Noah’s Ark is an animal-shaped educational maze on the grounds of Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm. It’s the UK’s longest and wildest hedge maze, with two miles of 15,000 hand-planted British Beech trees.
At its centre lies a unique bird’s nest tower with scenic views over the zoo.
A huge hit with the family, especially young ones, it’s part of an ethical and green infrastructure project.
Leeds Castle Maze, Kent
Six medieval queens have called Leeds Castle home over the years and the maze pays tribute to this, with part of the design resembling a queen’s crown.
Using over 2,400 yew trees, the maze is circular-shaped yet set in a square. As such, it is a large and complicated maze but one with an incredible reward for getting to the centre.
Should you make it through the labyrinth, an underground grotto awaits you at the centre. Macabre animals and mythical beasts lie in wait, all crafted from minerals, shells and wood.
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