The Matines Labyrinth

The labyrinth started out as a whimsical birthday present for Mark in the summer of 2015. It was roughly drawn with a rope on a peg to create a giant compass, and stones placed around the edge to mark out a 9 metre diametre circle. Initially the labyrinth was laid out in a seven-circuit medieval design (think Chartres cathedral), and the paths marked with old roof batons. This was fiendishly difficult to maintain owing to fast summer growth, so the wood was replaced with a few strategic stones. These again became lost in long grass and needed bright paint to make them visible.

In 2022, after lockdown, we decided to re-landscape the labyrinth. We cleared the turf, laid down a weed membrane and then bought several tonnes of concasse - a limestone mix - to make a firm surface. Finally we laid out the paths in a variety of stones from a local quarry, changing to the simpler and less distracting classical design with a central area. There are photos below to show the progress of the work.