An actual place to lose your self! World’s greatest residing labyrinth opens in Cornwall – and man behind it says hedge-based attraction will final for 4,000 years

A huge ‘living labyrinth’ billed as the biggest in the world will finally open to the public later this month. Constructed from traditional Cornish stone hedging, Kerdroya has been five years in the making.

The labyrinth, which spans 56 metres on a site near Colliford Lake on Bodmin Moor, is the brainchild of Cornishman Will Coleman.

Visitors will walk a single, meandering path through stretches of artisan stonework celebrating the distinct hedging styles from all 12 Cornwall Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) sections. 

The design is billed as an ‘enduring legacy’ to Cornish hedging, with Mr Coleman previously saying it will last for 4,000 years.

The Covid pandemic put a spanner in the works but Kerdroya is now nearing completion and is due to welcome its first visitors on March 21.

Embedded on each yard of hedge is a ‘marker disc’ made by Colliford father and son duo, the Thrussells. Each one bears an inscription for the supporter who sponsored it in a call for ‘hedge pledges’ at the start of the project.

The labyrinth showcases 12 regional styles of Cornish hedging with materials including Bodmin Moor granite, serpentine stone from the Lizard and stone from West Penwith. 

Its centrepiece is a representation of the labyrinth itself made of steel and copper on a round plinth of solid granite.

A huge ‘living labyrinth’ billed as the biggest in the world will finally open to the public later this month. Constructed from traditional Cornish stone hedging, Kerdroya has been five years in the making

Visitors will walk a single, meandering path through stretches of artisan stonework celebrating the distinct hedging styles from all 12 Cornwall Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) sections

Artist Will Coleman plays an exclusively composed tune ahead of the opening of Kerdroya

The design is billed as an ‘enduring legacy’ to Cornish hedging, with Mr Coleman previously saying it will last for 4,000 years

The Covid pandemic put a spanner in the works but Kerdroya is now nearing completion and is due to welcome its first visitors on March 21

The labyrinth is based on a classic pagan design used by tribes from the Siberian Tundra to the Isles of Scilly 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. It incorporates a map of Cornwall itself with two-tone paths representing both the sea that surrounds the Duchy and the land.

A spokesperson said the labyrinth would be a ‘place to lose oneself, a moment in time, to appreciate nature and the beauty of the Cornish landscape’.

They added: ‘This project would never have got off the ground without a team of committed individuals who have helped build hedges, create opportunities to learn about the craft, and share their knowledge and experience with others.

‘The durability of the Cornish hedge is evident across the whole Cornish landscape. Made from all natural materials and planted to encourage the natural flora and fauna of this beautiful place, it will stand the test of time and become a monument to the great craftsmen of Cornwall.’

Kerdroya was commissioned by Cornwall National Landscape and has been created by Golden Tree Productions with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Cornwall Council, and individual pledges from supporters. 

Its centrepiece is a representation of the labyrinth itself made of steel and copper on a round plinth of solid granite

Embedded on each yard of hedge is a ‘marker disc’ made by Colliford father and son duo, the Thrussells. Each one bears an inscription for the supporter who sponsored it in a call for ‘hedge pledges’ at the start of the project

The labyrinth showcases 12 regional styles of Cornish hedging with materials including Bodmin Moor granite, serpentine stone from the Lizard and stone from West Penwith

Kerdroya was commissioned by Cornwall National Landscape and has been created by Golden Tree Productions with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Cornwall Council, and individual pledges from supporters

The creator of the labyrinth was also the man behind ‘The Man Engine’ – a 33ft construction – three times the size of a double decker bus that walked for two-weeks across 130 miles of mining heritage

The project was commissioned to mark the tenth anniversary of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape joining the list of World Heritage Sites in 2016

The creator of the labyrinth was also the man behind ‘The Man Engine’ – a 33ft construction – three times the size of a double decker bus that walked for two-weeks across 130 miles of mining heritage.

The project was commissioned to mark the tenth anniversary of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape joining the list of World Heritage Sites in 2016. 

The part man, part machine creation will be accompanied by theatrical shows created by a team of more than a dozen ‘miners’ and ‘bal-maidens’.

They will help animate the puppet into a giant miner during his travels.