Top Ten British Mazes

The Green Man Maze, Powys
To celebrate the millennium, David Eveleigh designed a maze in the shape of The Green Man for Penpont House and Gardens in the Brecon Beacons. Inside the maze, constructed from yew and beech, there are pools, secret gardens, tunnels and banks of lavender for you to discover.

The Amazing Cornish Maize Maze, Cornwall
Find your way through the giant maize stalks and take part in the quizzes, puzzles and mini mazes within the maze. Each year there is a different theme and this year it’s ‘Clowning about on the farm’ and the aim is to get a clown to the big top in the centre.

Peace Maze, County Down
Castlewellan Forest Park is home to the world’s largest and longest permanent maze. The network is made up of 6,000 yew trees; it covers 2.2 acres and has a hedge length of over 2 miles. Planted in 2000, the maze commemorates peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Longleat Hedge Maze, Wiltshire
Commissioned by Lord Bath, the maze was constructed in 1975. Since then 6 wooden bridges have been added to give it another dimension. From a bridge you can glimpse the centre and try to figure out the best route. An observation tower marks the elusive centre of the maze.

Splashing Water Maze, Kent
On a 16 acre island in Hever Castle is a maze with a difference. Concentric stepping stone walkways sit in the water of a shallow lake. The aim of the maze is to reach the stone grotto in the centre without getting wet but this is made difficult by the water jets and tilting stones.

Minotaur Maze, Northumberland
Inspired by the Greek myth of Minos and the Minotaur, this stone maze is set in the grounds of Kielder Castle. At the centre of this unusual maze is a glittering room made from shards of recycled glass.

Noah’s Ark Maze, Somerset
At 3.2km long, Noah’s Ark Maze is the longest hedge maze in the world. 14,000 beech trees were planted in the shape of Noah’s Ark, with 7 monster animals inside. The maze is split into 15 sections and in each section you are asked a question – get it right and you will be told the quickest way to the centre.

The Forbidden Corner, Yorkshire
Get lost in a labyrinth of tunnels, chambers and follies in a 4acre garden in Tupgill Park. The maze was developed in the 1980s by Colin Armstrong for private use but due to demand was opened to the public. Discover the weird and wonderful statues and various oddities from the classical to the bizarre waiting around every corner.

York Maze, Yorkshire
Made up of 1.5 million different plants, the maze covers 32 acres of land. It was designed as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of Star Trek and takes the shape of many of the characters. Satellite technology was used in the designing of the maze to enable the creation of such intricate designs.

The Traquair Maze, Peeblesshire
Traquair Castle is home to one of the largest hedge mazes in Scotland. It covers over half an acre and the distance to the centre is a quarter of a mile. The maze has an unusual layout with no dead ends and visitors have to reach 4 sub-centres before they can reach the real centre.

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