The history of mazes dates back thousands of years, with these natural structures being used by ancient Romans, Greeks and medieval monks among others.
These historical mazes were used as puzzles and games, as a way to challenge the human intellect.
Solving mazes has been shown to help with cognitive skills including spatial learning and decision making.
Mazes also became a symbol of wealth and power during the Renaissance.
Located in Surrey, UK, you will find the oldest surviving hedge maze.
The Hampton Court Palace Maze is the UK’s oldest surviving hedge maze and was commissioned around 1690 by the former King of England, William III.
King William, also known as William of Orange, commissioned the maze after arriving in England with his wife Queen Mary to take over the English throne.
The maze covers a third of an acre and with its countless twists and turns and dead ends has captivated and intrigued visitors for centuries.
It was designed by George London and Henry Wise and was planted in a trapezoid shape which takes, on average, 20 minutes to solve.
The maze was originally planted using hornbeam but was later replanted with yew – a coniferous tree which has red berrylike fruits. It is referred to as a puzzle maze or as a multicursal maze.
The oldest maze covers an area of 0.2 ha (0.5 acres), with a total path length of 800 m (0.5 miles).
Other oldest surviving mazes in the UK include Glendurgan House in Cornwall, Somerleyton Hall and Tatton Park, which was copied from the Hampton Court maze.
Numerous studies have found that participating in mentally stimulating activities such as mazes helps prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite being centuries old, the maze in Surrey still delights its visitors.
“First time at Hampton Court Palace with our young children,” reads one review on TripAdvisor.
“This place is huge, the size, extravagance and ambition of the palace is really impressive.”
Another reads: “The palace is stunning with King Henry actually wandering round engaging people and holding court.
“The maze and gardens are beautifully kept.”