Introduction
A turf maze thought to have originated in the 17th century. The Comberton Maze was the last turf maze to be destroyed in England.
The former turf maze, known as 'Mazles' was circular, 50 feet in diameter, and an important part of the villagers' Easter Fair.
Following the re-cutting every third year the workers were given a feast for their labours. The curves of the maze were separated by trenches marked with pebbles. By 1846 it was enclosed in the school playground with the stipulation that it was to be preserved.
- History
The site of the maze was formerly the village green, adjacent to land owned by Barron Britten who married Martha Sparrow of Hilton in 1654. She is thought to have been the sister of William, who is believed to have created the Hilton labyrinth in 1660.
It has been suggested that the Mazles' was cut some time after 1660 as a copy of the Hilton maze.
By 1897 the Comberton Maze was in a bad condition and was restored in 1908 under the auspices of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. Its foundations were visible in 1925, but three years later it was buried under tarmac. It was the last turf maze to be destroyed in England.
- Key Information
Type
Maze
Survival
Lost
Civil Parish
Comberton
- References