Cornish labyrinth welcomes 6,000 visitors in first 3 weeks

A new tourist attraction in Cornwall has had thousands of visitors since it opened less than three weeks ago, the site’s managers have said.

Kerdroya, a labyrinth on Bodmin Moor made of nearly 450m (1475ft) of Cornish hedging – which combines stone and vegetation, was opened on 21 March.

South West Lakes Trust (SWLT), which manages the site, said 5,949 cars had visited the site up to 8 April.

The monument’s creator, Will Coleman, spent five years developing the project – which is made of more than 140,000 granite stones.

He said there was no rush for people to visit Kerdroya as it was going to be in place “for the next 4,000 years”.

Mr Coleman said the labyrinth was “a tribute to Cornwall’s timeless craft of stone hedging”, which was “a tradition as enduring as the granite kingdom itself”.

The project was built by master craftsmen and apprentices as a way to pass on traditional stone hedging techniques.

“Every stone laid carries a story,” Mr Coleman said.

Former apprentice James Sampson said: “The structure is going to be there for hundreds of years and it helps with all the habitats and the environment – lots of different aspects to it, it’s not just a hedge.”

Judith Starks, from Plymouth, visited the labyrinth for the second time on Wednesday.

She said she visited the “beautiful” maze as she was “just interested in seeing the different styles of hedging”.

“If you stop and read the plaques you understand the spirituality of the place – it’s very calming.”

At the heart of Kerdroya is a metal art installation that reflects the shape of the labyrinth and has been crafted by Thomas and Gary Thrussell, father and son metal artists, who live half a mile away from the site.

Thomas Thrussell said: “The rainwater fills it and overtime it will overflow to the middle and as it empties if goes round the labyrinth itself so it’s a point to ponder and think about the journey you have just been on.”