Who doesn’t love a maze?

Whatever age you are, it’s brilliant fun to weave your way around the lanes, desperately trying to find your way to the centre.

Essex has its fair share of mazes but did you know that our county is home to the largest turf maze in the world?

A turf maze is one where the maze paths are cut into short grass to create a labyrinth effect. So there are no high walls, but you still have to navigate your way around a series of twists and turns in an effort to get to the middle.

The Turf Maze
The Turf Maze

The biggest one of its type is actually in Saffron Walden, which is the unofficial maze capital of England.

The turf maze is on Saffron Walden Common and is one of only eight surviving turf mazes in the country.

So what’s it like?

It’s pretty big - it measures more than 40 metres across. It’s a round design with 17 circuits inside it.

There’s a bank and a ditch all around it too.

There are various reports of how long it takes to make your way around it, varying from ten minutes to 20 minutes with a small child.

It dates back centuries and even though it’s not clear when it was made, there official recordings of it being restored as far back as 1826. It was also repaired in 1841, 1859, 1887 and 1911.

Saffron Walden has lots of history to discover

In 1979 it was also restored and the bricks on the pathway were relaid flat.

The turf maze gets great reviews and has an impressive four out of five stars on Trip Advisor.

Praise includes “a pretty unique place”, “a gem of a labyrinth” and “fun for kids” and “great for the young at heart”.

Saffron Walden is known as the unofficial maze capital of England as it has five outdoor mazes.

The Hedge Maze
The Hedge Maze

These include:

The Hedge Maze - a traditional maze in Bridge End Garden made up of hedges which you have to wind around to try to find the centre.

The Jubilee Garden Maze - a modern maze inside the bandstand in Jubilee Garden which is made of bricks of two different colours which you have to navigate around.

The Swan Meadow Maze - a small, open-air maze made slate with puzzles dotted along the course.

Michael Ayrton’s Sun Maze - you can’t walk around this one as it’s a sculpture in the Fry Art Gallery and is a nod to the town’s maze history.

However, you can still master it by tracing the route with your finger.