Where is it?
Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, County Down, Northern Ireland. The single entrance to the maze is via the main car park.

What is it?
The maze is an area of 2.7 acres planted with 6,000 Yew trees, forming the largest hedge maze in the world. The time taken to solve the puzzle of the maze will vary but the average time should be about 40 minutes.

Who thought of it?
Original Concept and Maze Design by Beverley Lear, Lear Associates.

Can anyone visit it?
Yes. Adults and children alike will relish the suspense of trying to solve the puzzle of the maze and, hopefully, enjoy the satisfaction of doing so. Everyone exploring the maze will be able to keep in touch with their fellow explorers as the paths are wide, and the height of the trees deliberately low enough to encourage this. In addition , there is a quick exit route either via the main bridge - having solved the maze, or should you wish to 'give up' - via a perimeter path leading back to the entrance. Wheelchair access is easy. It is recommended that primary school age children be accompanied by an adult.

Why was it planted?
To represent the route and process to be taken by the people of Northern Ireland to achieve peace in the years following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. People exploring the maze will face choices, good and bad, frustrations and compromises and may have to trust others to help them achieve their goal. The success of some will encourage others to talk and co-operate in finding the right path to join them.

Who designed it?
To encourage common ownership of the maze, a design competition, attracting almost 4,000 entries from schoolchildren, was held. Overall design ideas and special features for inclusion in the maze were selected by the judges and incorporated into the completed maze. The overall pattern of the maze resembles the human brain, reminding the explorer of the thought processes required in the search for peace.
The maze also shows two distinct halves, and in solving the puzzle there is a need to cross this notional divide. This theme came through strongly from our schoolchildren with the emphasis being on the need to travel with caution and care. This is reflected by some of the special features within the maze.

Why was Yew chosen?
The parallel between lasting peace and the longevity of the Yew is appropriate. The beauty and the message of the maze will exist for future generations. Clippings of the Yew have been used in various medicines, including drugs used for the treatment of cancer, so it can offer hope as well as beauty and endurance.

Who planted it?
In keeping with the theme of combined effort to achieve a common purpose, the planting was aided by individuals, groups and schools. There are no commemorative tributes to this planting in the maze as, in the fullness of time, who planted an individual tree will be unimportant when measured against the achievement of one large hedge through the co-operation of these individuals. By around 2005 the trees will have merged into a continuous hedge and in a further five years the hedge will have developed in stature and depth. As in the peace process, results are achieved gradually over time.

Want to know more?
Dimensions
Ground area - 11,000m2 (2.7 acres or 1.1 hectares)
Hedge Length - 3550 m (over 2miles!)
Path length - 3147 m (almost 2 miles)
Path width - (1.8m) and lower than usual hedges (1.5m) are aimed at encouraging communication between visitors.

Funding
Financed by the European Union under the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Down District Council.

Features in the maze
Stepping stones - "to teach us to take one step at a time";

a Rocky Road - "the path to peace will not be easy";

a Rickety Bridge - "to show the need to cross over and see another person's point of view"- Mark Drew (age 9).

Spiral Mound - "it will be a long and winding road but with effort we will get there" - Leanne Baird (age 14).

A Peace Bell - at the centre of the maze, to be rung to declare that you have solved the puzzle.