Scheduled MonumentsEnglandJulian's Bower turf cut maze

Julian's Bower turf cut maze

England
List entry 1016428
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1016428
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.02 hectares
Grid reference
SE 88018 21756
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Julian's Bower is a turf cut maze located near Alkborough in Lincolnshire, England. The monument consists of a complex labyrinthine pattern cut into the turf, forming concentric pathways typical of medieval maze designs. Though traditionally associated with various legendary figures and periods, the archaeological and historical evidence suggests the maze was created in the medieval period, though the precise date of its construction remains uncertain. The maze has been maintained and repaired over subsequent centuries and represents a rare surviving example of a turf cut labyrinth of its type in England.

Julian's Bower turf cut maze is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1016428. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Julian's Bower turf cut maze?

Julian's Bower is a turf cut maze located near Alkborough in Lincolnshire, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1016428.

Who is responsible for protecting Julian's Bower turf cut maze?

Julian's Bower turf cut maze is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1016428.

What other scheduled monuments are near Julian's Bower turf cut maze?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Countess Close moated site (0.1 km), Bronze Age bowl barrow, Anglo-Saxon settlement and medieval manorial settlement (2.6 km), Camera and moated site at Faxfleet Hall (3.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Julian's Bower turf cut maze

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Julian's Bower turf cut maze's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Julian's Bower turf cut maze

Julian's Bower turf cut maze stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Julian's Bower turf cut maze

Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066Battle (1066) · ~23 miles