Cache details
You are looking for a small container placed quite close to the turf maze. The cache has been placed with kind permission from the Saffron Walden council with the understanding that in the unlikely event that any damage is caused to the area it is hidden it will be removed. Please do be careful when removing and replacing the cache as it can be a high-muggle area! Please ensure that it is not too visible when you leave it. Thank you! :)
Limited free parking is available either along the top of the common on Ashdon Road (Approx N52 01.501, E000 14.770), or along the side of the common on Common Hill (N52 01.470, E000 14.570) failing that, there is a Car Park at the bottom of the common (Entrance approx N52 01.435, E000 14.583) which is 60p for 1 hour during the day, and free after 6pm, and on Sundays and Bank holidays.
The Saffron Walden Turf Maze
The Turf Maze
There are only 8 surviving ancient turf mazes in England, and The Maze on the Saffron Walden Common is the largest in the country. Despite being collectively known as Mazes, they are actually 'labyrinths' as commonly mazes have many dead ends, however labyrinths are unicursal with just one path of twists and turns to the centre. The Saffron Walden Maze has a 'Chartres' design, which unlike the 'Cretan' mazes that involve walking around the whole circle and doubling back each time means you only need to walk entirely round one quarter of the maze before continuing to the next as you slowly get closer to the center.
It is very hard to reliably date a turf maze as they have to be regularly re-cut to keep the design clear. This is likely to disturb any archaeological evidence. Although the date of the original cutting of the Saffron Walden turf Maze is unknown, the first record of a re-cutting was in 1699 where the cutter was "Paid for cutting ye maze at ye end of ye common 15s 0d" (15 shillings = 75 pence today!). The Maze is in excellent condition, easily accessible, and great fun to walk.
View of the maze in Google Earth
Turf mazes were even referred to by William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Act 2, Scene 2) when Titania says:
"The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud;
and the quaint mazes in the wanton green,
for lack of tread are undistinguishable."
There are many myths and stories surrounding the reasoning behind the existance of turf mazes. Many of the English examples follow the same Chartres pattern used for pavement mazes in European cathedrals. It's often said that these mazes would be followed by penitents on their hands and knees to repent of their sins, however there isn't any documentary evidence of this.
Further afield, along the Baltic coast of Sweden stone labyrinths were built by fisherman to entrap evil spirits believed to bring bad luck during routh weather. The fishermen would entice the evil spirits into following them and then send them out into the sea.
Whatever the reasons for turf mazes, religious, entertainment, fertility, or to ward off evil spirits, one thing that is for certain is that they are truely interesting and unique features. The well-maintained Saffron Walden maze is a prime example of an ancient turf maze and I hope you will enjoy visiting it and perhaps walking around it.
To locate the final...
The coordinates will take you to the information board. The maze is on the edge of the Common and is very easily accessible and totally free. To locate the final stage simply grab some numbers from the information board:
ABCD = The date the brick path was re-laid with bricks
EF = The diameter of the maze in meters
The coordinates for the final cache are:
N52°0A.(D-4)(C-7)A, E000°14.(F+2)(E-2)(B-8)
Please don't leave any trackables in the container! It was muggled once and due to the new Urban guidelines is no longer in a camo'ed black box, but a transparent one which would be easier to spot by muggles if not pushed all the way back in it's hiding place!