First part of dry stone wall maze at Dalby Forest opens to public for first time

Initially an idea conceived in 1999, from the imagination of Farndale-based dry stone waller Mark Ellis, the Dry Stone Wall Maze saw its first foundation stone placed in Dalby Forest in 2014.

Since then, four inner circle walls have been completed by hand, and incorporate a variety of traditional dry stone wall features, and engraved stones made by professional stone carvers and early supporters of the project in dedicated workshops.

With 4,200 tonnes of stone used to complete it, the final maze will be 80m x 80m in size, becoming a considerable piece of landscape scale art placed in the forest.

Mark’s ambition is for the maze to become a way for people to engage with traditional crafts, connecting them with the nature, culture and heritage of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Mark Ellis, Dry Stone Waller at Dry Stone Wall Maze said: “It’s great to see people visiting the inner circles of the maze, bringing it to life.

"Now that the paths have been laid and the site has been made safe for visitors, it gives people the opportunity to get a sense of what the maze will be like once it’s finished; to experience the peace of this place, get a real idea of the scale of the project and to watch it grow around them. "

Already, many individuals, couples and families have shown an interest in this monumental structure, by buying a stone with their initials engraved, placed into the wall of the maze, making steady progress with the construction.

Petra Young, Fundraising and Development Manager at Forestry England, said: “We have re-launched the Buy a Stone Scheme with the Friends of Dalby Forest, to offer more interested visitors and businesses the opportunity to leave their mark on this exciting feature.

"Showing your support for this project will help us raise the funding to complete the structure.”

Visitors can now walk to the maze at any time to experience its scale and engage with the delicate craftsmanship used to construct the walls.

The project now heads into its next phase of development, constructing the outer square walls which will make up the remaining two-thirds of the structure once complete.

An accessible route will be introduced as part of this work to enable everyone to enjoy the maze in their own way.

The opening of the inner circles was made possible by funds from North York Moors National Park, North York Moors Association, Friends of Dalby Forest, Arts Council England, North Yorkshire Council (Ryedale District Council) and those individuals who have already marked a stone with their initials.

Judith Winters, Chair of Friends of Dalby Forest said: “We are thrilled to have reached the milestone

of seeing this enchanting place open to the public.”

The maze hosts a variety of traditional dry stone wall features from bee boles to smout holes and compass stones, which are available for sponsorship.

Contact [email protected] for sponsorship opportunities.