Hever Castle water maze
Famous for being the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the original Hever castle was built in the 1300s. Set in thirty acres of stunning gardens, you enter the castle by crossing a drawbridge under a raised portcullis.
There is an Italian garden which was all the rage in 1904 when it was built, and which contains a large collection of Italianate statuary much of it acquired in dubious circumstances, a lovely water garden but for the maze enthusiast there are no less than three mazes to try. There's a superbly maintained yew maze between the Italian gardens and the mock Tudor village. This maze was laid out in 1905 and is seventy five feet square its a wonderful design although some maze purists think its symmetry makes it too easy to find your way to the centre.
In addition, there is a water maze for the kids on a shallow purpose built lake with an island at the centre, containing the maze itself. The idea is to you pick your way along a stone path through a reed bed to an island grotto the walkways are made up of curved paths supported above the water on stilts - but if you tread on the wrong stone and you get spurted by water!
Finally there is an adventure playground with a maze based on the six wives of Henry VIII. A more recent addition is the highly-acclaimed Water Maze on a shallow lake with an island at the centre.
tennis, badminton, blenheim, chartres labyrinth, choosing racquet sport, famous badminton, famous squash, famous table tennis, famous tennis, fitness racquet sport, hampton court, hever, injuries racquet sport, longleat, maze biggest, maze corn, maze design, maze garden, maze labyrinth, maze maintenance, minotaur labyrinth, pelota, squash, starting racquet sport, table tennis