Julian’s Bower

I love this place. It is lonely, lovely and quite exhilarating to visit.
The maze commands a panoramic view over the Humber countryside. One theory is it was created by medieval monks, it sits adjacent to the site of an older 7-​ringed celtic maze .The relic is 44ft.
Also nearby is the old ‘Kell Well’, now nicely renovated, and a very curious stone in the village churchyard (said to be the remains of a stone cross, carved into a ‘spiral’ by years of sword sharpening!).an earthwork known as Countess Close above it. No-​one knows who originally cut this 12 metre maze (technically a Labyrinth — as it has a single entrance and path), The idea of the maze comes from the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens used a ball of wool given to him by Ariadne to mark his way through the labyrinth of the Minotaur in Crete, slayed the monster and retraced his steps with the aid of the thread and so to safety.
The nearby Alkborough church has a copy of the maze inlaid into the porch floor, and this is used as a template for the periodic re-​cutting of the turf. There is also a copy in the east window, The 44ft relic cut into the landscape has many interlocking rings, and the theories surrounding its origins are just as complex.
Some have observed how Alkborough’s maze is strikingly similar to a floor design in the 13^th century French cathedral of Chartres.
In 1697, the Lincolnshire diarist and antiquarian, Abraham de la Pryme, noted: They have at (Alkborough) two Roman games, the one called Gillian’s (for Julian’s) Bore, and the other Troy’s Walls.
eg The name Julian’s Bower may have been inspired by Julius, son of Aeneas of Troy. In legend, the walls of the ancient city of Troy were built in such a confusing way that an enemy who entered would never find a way out.
Shepherds too are said to have cut similar mazes.
It will remain a mystery.
Free to get in and not too difficult to find though a little out of the way unless you are in the area. Fascinating and well worth the visit. and YES I WAS the one running around it whilst a lot of, not particularly interested kids looked on. My dad was proud of me.