Hampton Court

Any exploration of the twists and turns of British mazes should include the oldest and most famous. The classic maze at Hampton Court Royal Palace by the Thames in West London was planted more than 300 years ago during the reign of King William III. He dug up an old orchard planted by Henry VIII and redesigned the garden in the formal style of the time.

The 1702 Maze is the only remaining part of William's garden. It's Britain's oldest hedge maze with winding paths amounting to nearly half a mile and covering a third of an acre. One of Jerome K. Jerome's "Three Men in a Boat" declared it "very simple... it's absurd to call it a maze," only to become completely lost. Inside he met other visitors "who had given up all hope of ever seeing their home and friends again."

The Hampton Court maze still swallows 300,000 people a year. If you do manage to get out, there are also exquisite riverside gardens and the fabulous Tudor palace to see.