I've got another article in Time Out this week. It's a guide to getting to the centre of HamptonCourtMaze, and it's written in the style of one of those adventure game books where you have to make a decision at the end of each paragraph. It's been nice to write something a bit different for a change. But my original piece turned out to be far too long, so Time Out's sub-editors have been forced to hack it down to ensure that it fits on page 16 above the strip cartoon. London's readers are only getting the half of it (but at least they'll get to the centre more quickly as a result). Here's the beginning of my original article, just as a taster, with all of the magazine's deleted chunks greyed out...
Hampton Court Maze has been baffling visitors for more than three centuries. It was laid out in the palace gardens in 1690, one of four mazes planted for the enjoyment of King William III and his court. The original hornbeam hedges have long since been replanted in yew, but the same half mile of paths survive to this day. The key to the maze's longevity is its forward-looking design. This is no simple one-track medieval labyrinth. This is a proper puzzle with seductive junctions, frustrating loops and deceptive dead ends. Fancy testing yourself? [1]
1) "The aim of the Hampton Court Maze", we're told on the information board outside the entrance, "is to get to the centre." Just in case you though otherwise. Cough up £3.50 (or wave your Palace entrance ticket) and venture inside. It's not a difficult start. The dead end immediately to your right has been blocked off to form a storage area and an exit passage, so veer left and trek around the western perimeter. It's easy to be over-confident at this point, striding ahead as yet unchallenged. But the first junction - a narrow gap carved through the hedge - introduces initial indecision. Take your pick. Through the gap and left? [2] Through the gap and right? [3] Or continue along the original path? [3]
[to be continued - either in today's Time Out or (in full) on this blog in December]
