By Chris Cornford
Golden Hill Fort has a new, amazing feature as a two-year project comes to its final stages.
The fort, near Freshwater, is one of Gift to Nature’s 30 sites across the Island, and now boasts its very own maze. The maze has been created by Eddie Glew and his team at Blithfield Willow, and has taken two years to complete.
It is inspired by the hexagonal footprint of the original fort and, using local willow coppiced from nearby Afton Marsh, it provides twists and turns, lookouts and dens.
Graham Biss, Natural Enterprise’s managing director, said: “We are delighted with the response to the willow maze. We wanted to bring the heart back to the park and this very special installation, using local materials, is already encouraging more Island residents to explore this beautiful West Wight asset.”
The two-year golden celebrations project has also included Professor Ruth Waller and a team of volunteers investigating the history of the fort site and how it was used.
Local West Wight residents, from the youngest school children, to more seasoned heritage enthusiasts, have contributed to bringing the site back to life.
Some of the foundations of the original military outbuildings are now clearly visible and there are written potted-histories of what they were used for.
Press Release