The Maze

St Louis Botanical Garden's (Public Domain)

Have you ever been in a Maze? The reason I’ve brought up this topic is because there is a Maze in my newest book, A Girl and Her Chateau. The idea came from the 1953 film, the Maze which I first saw years ago staying up late as a teen. It is a gothic romance about a young woman whose fiancé inherits a Scottish title and castle with a maze and among other things a family curse. There is no family curse in my story nor is it a gothic romance but it is the whole idea of how the maze stirs up feelings of excitement for some and others, fear. And in earlier times mazes were probably only found on the grounds of castles or monasteries.




When I think of a maze I think of a towering hedge with lots of intricate pathways. It is in fact a puzzle with lots of pathways and dead ends designed to confuse the competitor from finding the exit somewhere on the other side. Mazes are something that stimulate mixed feelings. Some might feel fearful at the thought of going in a maze while others might see it as adventure. They can be made of different materials but most commonly hedges. “They are often made of yew, boxwood and yaupon holly. Corn Mazes are also very popular.” (Stafford)


Mazes originate from ancient times thousands of years ago but were originally more of a labyrinth which is a single winding path whereas Mazes have lots of dead ends. “Although both maze and labyrinth depict a complex and confusing series of pathways, the two are different. A maze is a complex, branching (multi-cursal) puzzle that includes choices of path and direction, while a labyrinth is a unicursal and has only a single non-branching path which leads to the center. (Diffen)


The Labyrinth was created thousands of years ago for spiritual reflection. The first recorded labyrinth was in Egypt in the 5th Century B.C. Plato once said, “It is a confusing path, hard to follow without a thread, but, provided [you are] not devoured at the midpoint, it leads surely, despite twists and turns, back to the beginning.”


The labyrinth evolved during the middle ages into what is now known as the maze. It served as a great pastime during the Victorian era and has become popular since. There are many mazes throughout Britain and Europe and they are often found at castles and monasteries and chateaus. The oldest maze is the one at Hampton Court Palace and the largest is at the Longleat Estate.

Hampton Court (Public Domain)

The Hampton Court Maze was commissioned around the year 1700 by William III. “It covers a third of an acre and is known for confusing and intriguing visitors with its many twists, turns and dead ends. On average, it takes 20 minutes to reach the centre. The Maze was designed by George London and Henry Wise and is trapezoid in shape. Originally planted using hornbeam, it was later replanted using yew. It is referred to as a multicursal or puzzle maze.” (HRP.org.uk)

Maze at Longleat (Public Domain)

The Maze at Longleat was added in 1978 and is the largest in Britain. It is made of 16,000 yew trees. (Longleat.co.uk.)


Below are some links to popular maze sites.




https://www.longleat.co.uk/main-square/hedge-maze retrieved on 25 May, 2020
https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/the-maze/ retrieved on 25 May, 2020
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Labyrinth_vs_Maze retrieved on 25 May, 2020

Stafford, Jeff, Garden Mazes Create A Sense Of Wonder, retrieved on May 17, 2020 at https://www.hgtv.com