A-mazing maize maze
VISITORS have been flocking to a field off the A52 to be the first to try out a new maize maze, which covers a vast eight acres of countryside near Wyaston.
The gigantic attraction was created by Philly Goodall, who gave over one of her family’s fields for the intricately-designed maze, which welcomed its first explorers on Saturday.
Philly brought in a specialist maze creator who used cuttingedge Gps-guided seed-drilling equipment to plant the stunning layout, which is modelled on a turtle, a character in a series of books written by a family friend.
The characters of the educational books, which are all based on sea creatures, also appear along the maze, as families enjoy minigames as they navigate the paths through the 6ft-high maize stalks.
There are two mazes on the site, one for ages seven and above and a mini-maze for under sevens and toddlers.
Philly says she hopes the maze, which she has made with the help of her parents, will bring joy to families as the nation emerges from the pandemic.
She said: “We were just thinking of ideas and projects that we could do on the farm that were Covidfriendly, would bring people into the countryside and just create memories.
“It’s about connecting people to the countryside really and a maize maze was something a bit fun.
“We had a field in the right place, off the main road, and we thought we could have a tractor here and create a straw tower and just create a nice day out for people.”
Philly says she is already planning ahead for new maize mazes in the coming years, which will be devised as soon as this current crop has been harvested. The maze was opened officially on Saturday by Sir Richard Fitzherbert and Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines was among its first explorers. It will be open from 10am until 5pm with last admissions at 4pm.
Admission is £6 per adult, £5 per child and a family ticket of is £20. Toilets are available onsite.
To find out more visit www. maze52.com
It’s about connecting people to the countryside and a maze was a bit fun.
Philly Goodall