City of Troy

A short walk on a rather grey Christmas afternoon in the Howardian Hills from the maze* to Scackleton and back. After having a houseful for the last week, we are down to only 3 for Christmas dinner this evening. Duck rather than turkey is on the menu.


*The smallest surviving turf maze in Europe. It may be one of the oldest in England, or it could be a relative newcomer dating back only to the 19th century. Turf mazes wear down over time and have to be re-cut so its origins are obscure and no-one knows for certain when the first maze was cut. Also unknown is the reasons behind its name, although references to the city of Troy are common in maze names in England and northern Europe. These references link in with the legend that the walls of ancient Troy were built in such a way as to prevent unwanted intruders from finding their way out. It is likely that the mazes had religious or cermonial customs, perhaps relating to fertility and renewal of life. Some people think that they represent the path of human spirituality where the goal is clear but not the route. Others think dead souls were trapped at the centre but could be reached by the living for advice when necessary!