The Isles of Scilly - a small archipelago twenty-eight miles from the south west tip of Cornwall - have an iconic and enigmatic labyrinth heritage unique to the British Isles. These spiralling configurations of sea-worn pebbles placed on turf bloom across the islands’ coasts like toadstools - fairy rings of unknown origin. The first and oldest of these labyrinths (coiling single paths, known locally as mazes) is Troy Town Maze on St Agnes, the smallest and most remote of Scilly’ inhabited islands. This maze is at least 300 years old - but possibly far older - as it shares many similarities with labyrinths from the Viking period. Though there are several like it on small islands in Scandinavia, it is the only one of its kind in the UK. Troy Town Maze was the inspiration for several other labyrinths that have appeared around the islands over the decades. Like the original, all of these are of uncertain date, but unlike the original, these later mazes are archaeologically unacknowledged. Instead they are cared for, walked and modified by generations of islanders and visitors to Scilly.

Labyrinths are ancient symbols of pilgrimage, folklore and sea-faring superstition - sparking curiosity and imagination. So perhaps it is only fitting that a folk-culture of labyrinth building emerged on the islands, which are so rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage. However, very little is known about Scilly’s labyrinths. Their important story is largely untold, and most people - visitors and islanders alike - are unaware of their significance. Because of this, they are vulnerable. Many have already vanished from the coastpaths - their stones rolled aside in high winds, overgrown by vegetation, or covered by shifting sands - and now they survive only in memory.  This community art project aims to lift up the importance of Scilly’s labyrinths. Firstly, and more generally, by hosting a range of labyrinth-inspired cultural content to the islands; and secondly, more specifically, with the restoration of Giant’s Castle maze.