Friends of Dalby Forest

Volunteering in the Great Yorkshire Forest

The Dry Stone Wall Maze

The world’s largest dry stone wall maze is being built in our forest!

The Friends of Dalby Forest are assisting in the development of the Dry Stone Wall Maze that is being built in Dalby Forest. We have been involved in the fundraising of this project via the Buy a Stone scheme (now finished) as well as assisting in practical tasks such as path clearing on the completed sections, weeding and site prep and some moving stone to assist the build. 

You can follow progress when we post about tasks at the maze on the FoDF Facebook group or on our Twitter page. The Maze has its own website and Facebook page too.

For business donors and anyone interested in being a major sponsor, there are now opportunities to buy one of the maze’s Special Features like gates, stiles and smout holes. If you are specifically interested in this option, please email: petra.young@forestryengland.uk

We know that everyone is excited by the maze but it is an active construction site and it is not open for the public until construction is complete. For your own safety and for the continuation of this project, can we please ask members of the public to not access the site. It will jeopardise the completion of the project.

group

Some A-Maze-ing Facts 

  • It will take 2 dry stone wallers several years to build the maze
  • The maze will be 80 metres x 80 metres
  • Maze walls will be 2 metres high and 1m wide at the base
  • 4032 tonnes of stone will be used
  • The full length of stone wall will measure 1610 metres
  • The concept of the maze was dreamed up by dry stone waller Mark Ellis who will now see his ideas made real as he is the one building the maze!
  • The maze will have a wide range of features found in Yorkshire field walls and gardens, like stone step stiles, squeeze stiles, smout holes, kissing gates, phantom gates and moon gates.
maze-illustration2

 

Videos

Dalby Maze: A work-in-progress (2017)

Dalby Drystone Wall Maze (2016) from Ashcroft Interactive on Vimeo.

2016

July 2016

April 2015

April 2015

2015

September 2014

Older articles about the maze

http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/14203931.Be_a_mazed_by_project_emerging_in_Dalby_Forest/

Stone carving workshop review (October 2016) http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/dry-stone-circle-lost-art-of-the-labyrinth-1-8198941

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14489258.A_maze_ing_Dalby/

http://www.salvonews.com/uk/dalby-forest-reclaimed-drystone-wall-maze-x97726x9.html

http://www.kirkbymoorside.info/bid-to-create-worlds-biggest-drystone/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-14382023

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/off-the-wall-idea-for-dry-stone-maze-at-beauty-spot-1-3639311

http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2011/08/02/craftsman-plans-to-help-woodland-walkers-get-lost

http://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/environment/giant-maze-bid-at-dalby-1-3644544

4 thoughts on “The Dry Stone Wall Maze

  1. How do I buy a stone to be carved and how much are they

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  2. Hello – I’ve just emailed you with the details!

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  3. Any up-to-date details please. When will it be finished??

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  4. Hello. It will be a couple of years yet. It’s not being worked on full time and it is currently only being worked on by Mark and his assistant, but the third circle has started. If you buy a carved stone or come to a workshop to support the build http://drystonewallmaze.com/buy-a-stone/ then you will be invited to an open day to see your stone built into place and see progress for yourself. Speed will pick up once the more complicated curved lines are built as these are inherently slower to build. Additional updates are posted on the Maze’s own Facebook page (link above).

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