by Peter Clark
There have been labyrinths in the Ryedale area for almost 200 years, with one of ten very different labyrinths being close to where you live.
- Norton Riverside Walk, Norton. A temporary labyrinth created in 2019 and authorised to be made permanent in 2023.
- City of Troy, Dalby/Skewsby. The smallest turf labyrinth in Europe, and possibly Yorkshire’s finest examples of a medieval style, was recreated in 1860.
- Helmsley Walled Garden. A very large circular turf labyrinth, created by volunteers in 2022 and located within beautiful gardens.
- Kirkbymoorside Primary School. A brick and turf labyrinth, which was created by a staff member in 2004, and can be seen from the school’s perimeter fence.
- Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton le Hole. A brick and turf labyrinth was created in the museum’s garden in 2000.
- Friends Meeting House, Castlegate, Pickering. A turf labyrinth is mown between July and October each year.
- Wydale Retreat Centre, Wydale Lane, Brompton by Sawdon. Made in 2008, the octagonal labyrinth of wood chip, incorporates lavender bushes and a centre seat in the pergola.
- St Mary Church, Old Malton. A circular labyrinth was mown into the lawn of the churchyard in 2022.
- Orchard Fields, Malton. A large circular labyrinth, created for the Winter Solstice in 2020, has been maintained since then. (See photo)
- Trinity Methodist Church, Commercial St. Norton. The painted labyrinth on the car park to the rear of the Church, was created in 2019.
A labyrinth is not a maze. In a maze, with multiple pathways, you can get lost. In a labyrinth, with only one pathway, you can find yourself!
The Labyrinths in Britain website: https;//labyrinthinbritain.uk includes an interactive map of all public labyrinths.
