A fine example of a turf-cut maze (sometimes known as a miz-maze), Julian's Bower stands on a hillside overlooking the confluence of the River Ouse and River Trent, with an earthwork known as Countess Close above it. No-one knows who originally cut this 12 metre maze (technically a Labyrinth - as it has a single entrance and path), or when, but it is only first recorded in 1697 by Abraham de la Pryme. Several theories exist, and you may take your pick from the following:-
The idea of the maze comes from the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens used a ball of wool given to him by Ariadne to mark his way through the labyrinth of the Minotaur in Crete, slayed the monster and retraced his steps with the aid of the thread and so to safety.
History also tells us that Julius, the son of Aeneas (a Trojan warrior who appears in Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid) brought the idea of turf-cut mazes to Italy from Troy after it was destroyed by the Greeks.
Another theory is that the maze was carved by a small cell of monks who lived in this area until the 13th century.
The early Christian church did indeed use the idea of mazes as symbolic of the path to heaven, and also as a penitential device. Interestingly, the nearby Alkborough church
No Comments Yet - Why not be the first to leave a comment
Every effort is made to make sure that all the information is correct but we strongly recommend that you call Julian's Bower before you set off on your day out to confirm opening times and admission prices.
Please also note that the position on Google maps for Julian's Bower is a rough estimate using their postcode in the database and might be slightly out.
It may also be worth clicking the web link for Julian's Bower to see if there are any special events coming up or currently on.
Julian's Bower