Julian's Bower, medieval turf maze, Lincolnshire

3D Model

This is Julian’s Bower, a maze cut into turf, outside the village of Alkborough in North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. The maze was noted in Abraham de la Pryme’s diary, between 1671 and 1704, but it is believed to have been built earlier, associated with the monks at Spalding Priory. See the listing on Historic England: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016428. There is no puzzle in the maze – there is only one path, from the steps to the centre. The suggestion is that monks would follow the path as a penance, perhaps on their knees.

The photos were taken in July 2026 – in the middle of a hot summer, so the grass (which is normally lush and green) is yellow. The maze is popular with children and others, so it is walked on more than the surrounding grass. The lines of the maze have been recently cut – thanks to whoever does this. The photos were assembled in RealityScan and processed in Meshlab.