© 2019 John Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
This circular Maze in Crystal Palace Park dates from around 1870, and is the perfect place to get confused. It took me a few minutes to find a suitable quiet spot to take the panorama, but it took me considerably longer to find my way out!
A sign near the entrance to the maze includes the following text:
This maze originally dates from about 1870 and is one of the largest mazes in the country. In its heyday, it was a popular place for a stroll after tea hence it is sometimes known as a Tea Maze. After falling into disrepair, it was replanted in 1987 by the London Borough of Bromley.
In 1909, during a Boy Scout rally held in Crystal Palace Park, a group of girls approached Lord Robert Baden Powell to demand the formation of a similar movement for girls. Baden Powell responded positively to the request and shortly afterwards published his Scheme for Girl Guides. Six thousand girls joined when the organisation was founded in 1910.
Girlguiding UK has since grown into the largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women in the UK with over half a million members. Guiding is also a worldwide movement with around 10 million members in 145 countries.
To celebrate the organisation's centenary, Girlguiding UK and the London Borough of Bromley have created a permanent commemoration of the girls' pioneering spirit by restoring the maze and commissioning an artwork set within it.
Ten stones carved with emblems can be discovered within the maze. At the centre, the maze pattern is set within the paving and the positions of the ten stones are revealed.
Canon 500D, Sigma 8mm fisheye, Nodal Ninja 3 MKII VR head, Photomatix, PTGui, Pano2VR, Photoshop.
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