The best-surviving turf maze is on the village green beside Glaston Road on the edge of the picturesque village of Wing in the East Midlands county of Rutland. This particular example does not have a designated name. If it ever had a specific name, there are no records or legends...
The turf labyrinth at Saffron Walden, in the county of Essex, is one of the best-known and well maintained historic turf labyrinths in Europe, and it is also the largest surviving example. It is located at the east end of a large open area known as the Common adjacent to...
This unusual turf maze is located in a garden at Troy Farm Bed and Breakfast, a privately owned dwelling about one-mile east of the village of Somerton in Oxfordshire and 16-miles from Oxford. Troy Town Maze is in an atmospheric setting hidden among trees and close to an ancient pre-Roman...
The turf mizmaze located at Alkborough in Lincolnshire is the lone remaining labyrinth in England bearing the ancient name Julian’s Bower. It is situated in a sunken depression atop a hillside overlooking the confluence of the River Humber with the rivers Ouse and Trent. Below the maze stretches the Alkborough...
St. Catherine’s Hill, located south of the ancient city of Winchester, was the site of an Iron Age fort first built some 2,500 years ago. Winchester itself is one of the most important cities in Roman Britain, being the seat of Norman Kings and the heart of King Alfred’s Wessex....
On the eastern edge of Hilton village in Cambridgeshire is a green space upon which is cut a turf maze measuring 53 feet diameter. Of the eight labyrinths of old existing in England, the one in Hilton has some unique features. Unlike the other turf mizmazes which have unknown origins...
In a remote part of North Yorkshire about 13-miles north of York on top of the Howardian Hills there is a turf maze that is the smallest of the eight remaining mizmazes in England. Much about this labyrinth is mysterious, beginning with the location. There it sits, on the side...
Today is the third blog of MAZE MONTH, following and concluding (for the most part) the history of mazes and labyrinths. Be sure to read the two previous posts (links below) before this one. This topic expanded beyond what I initially intended when diving into garden mazes —hence a whole...
This blog is a direct continuation of yesterday’s introductory post — History of the Maze — so please click to read that one first. The history behind mazes and labyrinths is surprisingly complex. I am barely scratching the surface in these two posts, which is fine for my main MAZE...
In my never-ending search for fascinating topics, I’ve been collecting data on Georgian garden follies and other landscaping features. I’ve found so many marvels, I now have enough material for multiple months of blogs! I plan to space them out over time, but have decided to devote the month of...
From about 1773, the upper floors of the Exeter Exchange (a popular shopping arcade) took on a new role: a menagerie of exotic animals. It was formed by Gilbert Pidcock, and upon his death in about 1810, the menagerie passed to Stephani Polito. On his death in 1814, one of...
Today’s blog is a continuation from yesterday’s post about the history of Federal Hill, the plantation estate of the Rowan family that is now known worldwide as “My Old Kentucky Home.” Please read that article first as it sets the foundation for the Kentucky State song of the same name,...
Eight years ago I fulfilled a long-held dream to escape the fast becoming communist state of California. Together with my husband Steve and grown son Kyle, we embarked on a new phase of our lives in the beautiful bluegrass state of Kentucky. I’ve written previous blogs about our decision to...
The 19th century would see the end of Frost Fairs and the Thames freezing solid. Alas, this also means today’s blog is the last in my four-part series on the subject. Before reading on, be sure to check out the previous posts to understand the full context, links below in...
The cold spell known by scientists as the “little ice age” continued throughout the 18th century. So too did the hardships associated with such harsh weather, and so too did the Frost Fairs held when the River Thames running through London froze completely solid. Both the severe freezes and the...
