On the edge of the village of Wing in Oakham, is a cut turf maze – technically a labyrinth- that measures 14m across and is believed to date back to the medievel period. It is a listed ancient monument believed by someto be over 2500 years old. However, who or why it was made is somewhat of a mystery,only seven others of its kind survive in England.
The Theories
“Wing” is a Norse name and it is possible that early Nordic settlers built a maze to remind them of thestone labyrinthsthat were scattered across Scandinavia.
The Wing Maze is cut in the Standard Chartres design, similar to the famous labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. Local plans from the 19th century show a slightly different pattern, suggesting that it was changed at some point.
Nearby is Thorney Abbey, which dates to the Middle Ages, and as mazes of this sort were often part of ritual penance, it is speculated that ancient monks may have constructed the maze. An informational board at the site suggests a link to the Christian Crusades—
“Instead of travelling to Jerusalem people walked or maybe even went on their knees around a maze as part of a spiritual journey.”
Folklore associates it with fertility rites and apotropaic purposes. It’s thought that rituals taken place here would involve people crawling it’s path on their hands and knees in atonement for their sins.
