The Millennium Maze The Maze is the principal element of Darwin Gardens Millennium Green - a striking and thought-provoking landscape feature, which gives entertaining exercise to people of all ages. Constructed from 1000 flagstones - one for each year of a Millennium, the pathway links two carved stone monuments, and can be interpreted as representing a quest from past to present times.
The monument at the start of the maze suggests the beginning of humankind's ideas about the world, drawing on symbols from ancient rock-carvings to be found on the adjacent moor; and also on the fossils of primitive life-forms. The swirling maze-path design is based on the ancient fylfot symbol, carved into a rock known as the Swastika Stone, also sited on the moor nearby.
The finishing monument incorporates an archaic cross, to symbolise the coming of Christianity to Ilkley and to commemorate the Christian Millennium. The emergence of evolutionary ideas, and of a flower to represent the regeneration of this area, are also depicted within this impressive carving. Both monuments are the work of Darren Yeadon (Artist in Stone) of Whitby.
The maze was designed by Dr John Haigh of Ilkley, and the flagstones were laid during May 2000 by volunteers and staff of Bradford Countryside Service, aided by local volunteers of the Darwin Gardens Trust. The foundations were prepared by Crest Homes (Northern) Ltd - a major donor to the project - and all the flagstones have been individually donated.
Special feature stones have been dedicated by community groups, societies
and businesses, including our local internet group.
All the flagstones are numbered for identification,
and a complete list of dedications is maintained on a display board beside
the maze, which is due to receive its final update (as all flagstones are
now dedicated) on or before 21st June 2003.
If you have dedicated a flagstone in the maze, you can locate it using the detailed maps which can be accessed from the table of flagstone numbers below. All dedications also include an option to post a Millennium Maze Memento on this website, and these can be viewed here.
The Darwin Gardens Trust organises volunteer work-parties to maintain
the Millennium Green, with additional assistance from Bradford Council
- please contact us if you would be interested
in taking part. Another way of supporting the Trust's work is to
dedicate a hedgerow tree in the area surrounding the maze, which can be
done by using our printable application form.
Flagstone Location - click on a number to find its precise position in the Millennium Maze |
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| 1 - 49 | 50-111 | 112-131 | 132-164 | 165-172 | 173-174 | 175-184 | 185-194 | 195-196 | 197-200 | |||
| 201-209 | 210-211 | 212 | 213-215 | 216-217 | 218 | 219-220 | 221-222 | 223-235 | 236-273 | |||
| 274-288 | 289-290 | 291-301 | 302-303 | 304-322 | 323-328 | 329-330 | 331-336 | 337-361 | 362-367 | |||
| 368-369 | 370-375 | 376-411 | 412-415 | 416-470 | 471-475 | 476-480 | 481-489 | 490-491 | 492-502 | |||
| 503-514 | 515-530 | 531-567 | 568 | 569-584 | 585-586 | 587-591 | 592-638 | 639-640 | 641-646 | 647-650 | ||
| 651-690 | 691-695 | 696-711 | 712-735 | 736-737 | 738-743 | 744-767 | 768 | 769-772 | 773-784 | 785-800 | ||
| 801-802 | 803 | 804-805 | 806-848 | 849-850 | 851-864 | 865-866 | 867 | 868-911 | 912-914 | 915-917 | ||
| 918-919 | 920-921 | 922-934 | 935-936 | 937-967 | 968 | 969 | 970 | 971-973 | 974 | 975-976 | ||
| 977-978 | 979-981 | 982-983 | 984-985 | 986-988 | 989-992 | 993 | 994-996 | 997 | 998 | 999-1000 | ||