Saffron Walden Maze, Saffron Walden, United Kingdom

The Saffron Walden maze is the largest of the eight historic turf labyrinths still in existence in England. Although probably created in the Middle Ages for religious purposes, the maze has more recently been used for games and festivities.

Labyrinth

Address

Chaters Hill 2, Saffron Walden, United Kingdom

See all sites in Saffron Walden

Details

Founded: Probably medieval
Category:

More Information

www.visitsaffronwalden.gov.uk
en.wikipedia.org
www.worldwidewriter.co.uk

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Hilton maze (37,3 km)

User Reviews

Tony Ruel (2 months ago)
What a fantastic clean welcoming place to eat. Everything was perfect

Lee Metters (2 months ago)
Nice food and friendly atmosphere

Richard Palmer (2 months ago)
Went in for Saturday lunch. Food good quality and not too expensive. Service was excellent.

Ashley Norman (4 months ago)
Fantastic place to eat. Table for 6, small Christmas gathering. Had several dishes to share for starter. Many beautiful flavours to get the appetite going. Then had the mix grill for main... Best flame grilled meat since cave man fire!! to top it off it was all served by some lovely hard working staff! Thankyou guys will be recommending Ashley

Elliott Curtis (5 months ago)
Beautiful atmosphere. My first time experiencing Turkish cuisine and our host was so polite and helpful. The food was amazing. I've never had lamb so tender and tasteful. Would definitely recommend!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright szeke

Historic Site of the week

Church of Our Lady before Týn

The Church of Our Lady before Týn is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.

In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was built there for foreign merchants coming to the nearby Týn Courtyard. Later it was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in the late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. By the beginning of the 15th century, construction was almost complete; only the towers, the gable and roof were missing. The church was controlled by Hussites for two centuries, including John of Rokycan, future archbishop of Prague, who became the church's vicar in 1427. The roof was completed in the 1450s, while the gable and northern tower were completed shortly thereafter during the reign of George of Poděbrady (1453–1471). His sculpture was placed on the gable, below a huge golden chalice, the symbol of the Hussites. The southern tower was not completed until 1511, under architect Matěj Rejsek.

After the lost Battle of White Mountain (1620) began the era of harsh recatholicisation (part of the Counter-Reformation). Consequently, the sculptures of 'heretic king' George of Poděbrady and the chalice were removed in 1626 and replaced by a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a giant halo made from by melting down the chalice. In 1679 the church was struck by lightning, and the subsequent fire heavily damaged the old vault, which was later replaced by a lower baroque vault.

Renovation works carried out in 1876–1895 were later reversed during extensive exterior renovation works in the years 1973–1995. Interior renovation is still in progress.

The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church's western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church.

The early baroque altarpiece has paintings by Karel Škréta from around 1649. The oldest pipe organ in Prague stands inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of the most representative 17th-century organs in Europe.

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Saffron Walden Maze