Unique Worden Park feature temporarily closed - this is why

A much-loved feature of Leyland’s Worden Park has been temporarily closed this week.

South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) announced that the maze, close to the formal gardens, needs some TLC before the summer holidays.

A spokesman said: “To help keep our Green Flag Award winning park looking its best for the busy summer holidays, we'll be carrying out some routine maintenance on the maze this week.As a result, the maze will be temporarily closed while the work takes place.

“Don't worry though, there's still plenty to explore across the park, including beautiful woodland walks, the adventure playground, café and much more.

“We're looking forward to reopening the maze soon and welcoming visitors back to enjoy it in top condition.Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

The reopening date has not been given.

History of the Worden Park maze

The historic Worden Park maze features more than half a mile of hornbeam hedges and a central lime tree.

Designed in the 1850s by prominent landscape architect William Andrews Nesfield, the puzzle garden contains three false entrances and remains one of the few entirely free hedge mazes in the UK.

The maze and formal gardens were laid out in the 1850s to replace an earlier design, complementing a major remodeling of the central Worden Hall by architect Anthony Salvin. Both the hall and the grounds originally belonged to the Farington family, who had held the estate since the 13th century .