Tuesday, 31 July 2012

What's on this summer - Acclaimed Oxfordshire Maize Maze

Millets Farm Centre near Abingdon in Oxfordshire has officially invited children to ‘get lost’ with their a-maiz-ing Maize Maze which opened on July 28th - the 15th year of this much anticipated annual event.

Open 10am-6pm seven days a week from 28th July to 4th September, then weekends until 16th September, there’s plenty of opportunity to sample this hugely popular attraction in Oxfordshire with free parking and many other attractions on site.

They’re under starters orders and are ready for families everywhere to come and celebrate the Olympics and their farming roots in style by getting lost in this year’s “Animal Games” themed Maze.

Millets Farm is famous for holding the World Record in growing the first Maize Maze back in 1997, with the crop creating nearly four miles of pathway and covering eight acres – some visitors took four hours to complete it! Previous designs include a windmill, dragon, pirate ship, clowns and the White Rabbit for last years’ Alice in Wonderland theme.

This year, ‘The Animal Games’ promises to be just as challenging and exciting for children and adults alike. The shape of the maze was not unveiled until the opening on July 28th - a rowing boat tribute to this year's games and the Great British team.

Split into three individual mazes, families can expect to spend approximately 2 hours to complete them all - however with a wristband which allows them to come and go as they please throughout the day, it’s a great day of fun and excitement for the whole family to enjoy.

And the fun doesn’t end after completing the Maize Mazes – other activities available include the nautical zone, featuring a wooden fort maze (not made of Maize!), pedal go-karts and woodland hunt. While parents enjoy a refreshing drink and some well-deserved food in the courtyard area, children can enjoy the bouncy castle, trampolines, hay bales, table football, table tennis and a whole host of other games.

Planted in April, the maze got off to a slow start and was the smallest in its history until just a few weeks ago because of the wet weather. But this tropical crop has been boosted by the warm sunshine of recent weeks.

“We are hoping this interesting mixture of weather conditions will give our Maize Maze the growing power it needs to be one of the tallest and best mazes in the country” said Millets Farm Events Manager Helen Bloomfield.

Families can bring their picnics into the Maize Maze area and why not pick a punnet of succulent strawberries or raspberries from the Pick Your Own Fields to accompany, or maybe some indulgent cakes or pastries from the farm shop.

Tackle the maze by moonlight on one of Millets Farm’s Torchlight Evenings where families can enter the mazes and test their navigational skills by night…just don’t forget to bring your torch! These take place on selected summer evenings from the end of August until the end of the maze season.

The Maize Maze also has an area which can be booked for private birthday parties with a marquee suitable for up to 15 children making it a unique yet brilliant place to host any party.

“Last year we had over 20,000 visitors to the Maze and this year we are hoping for even more. As one of the top attractions in Oxfordshire, the Maize Maze is a brilliant experience and a fantastic family day out in the countryside,” added Helen.

Check out Millets Farm’s website for more details about the Maize Maze including the latest new activities – you can also purchase tickets online via their website.

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