Journey into the Underworld
When you think of the quintessential fairy tale castle one pictures an ivy covered tower surrounded by a moat. Leeds Castle, situated in the heart of Kent is one such castle and looks as if it has come straight from the pages of a storybook. Described as ‘the loveliest castle in the world’ it stands on two islands in a lake in the midst of absolutely beautiful gardens. It is in these gardens where the castle maze and grotto are to be found. The maze is made up of 2,400 planted yew trees and takes the form of a topiary castle, with a spiralling path that leads to a central viewpoint. It opened in 1988 and was born of a collaboration between designer Vernon Gibbard, Minotaur Designs, sculptor Simon Verity and shell artist Diana Reynell.
There is something about mazes which remind me of the Fae – when you enter into the maze there is an element of stepping into the unknown, where the twists and turns could lead you anywhere. In this case, the maze leads you to a central mound and tower where you can survey the grounds and see the maze laid out in the shape of a queen’s crown and chalice. However, the only way out of the maze is through the mound into the grotto. Again, this is reminiscent of journeying into Faerie – the traveller must enter the mound and into the Faery Kingdom. Indeed, the Irish name for the Fae is Sidhe, meaning people of the mounds, as it was thought the ancient Faery races inhabited the numerous prehistoric burial mounds that lay scattered about the countryside.
As you descend into the murky depths a sound of running water greets you, and as your eyes adjust to the gloom you find yourself 20 feet underground in a cavern where the walls are decorated with thousands of seashells. Statues stand in niches in the walls and water cascades over the huge stone face of a grotesque giant.
The path takes you deeper still where the traveller is confronted by the seat of the nymph of the grotto and mythical beasts formed of shells, bones and wood. A snake coils around a column partially blocking the way as if challenging you to continue, but a phoenix, resplendent with its shell plumage points towards the way out.
The grotto represents the underworld, but the journey is one of rebirth.
As you reach the end of the tunnel daylight fills the room, and a statue of the green man sits, key in hand, ready to let you out. While there has been no loss of years as if you really had been in Faerie, you can be sure you have witnessed many strange and wonderful things…
A version of this article first appeared in Faerie Magazine (Summer 2005)
