Spiritual Gardens

The Spiritual Gardens can be found in Zone 1 and the closest to Segment 7, as Zone 1 is the only Zone that is not broken up into Segments. The Gardens are laid out as a circular labyrinth. A person suffering from mental health issues can walk the course of the labyrinth as a meditative tool. A labyrinth in this context is a singular path, that makes its way to its goal ^[1]. There are no choices in these labyrinths. If they do have choices they are called Mazes ^[1].

What Does The Labyrinth Consist Of?

The gardens consist of a hedge on either side that is waist-high, with flowers and other plants around the circumference. The paths of the labyrinth are dirt paths, so this is not ideal when it has been raining or if the snow has melted recently. Plans have been made to pave the labyrinth but these have not come to fruition. The entrance and exit are not on the same side, as to make the trip around the labyrinth longer. The idea is having a journey from the start,  to symbolise where the problems started, and the ending with possible solutions that they could use, at the other end.

The Health Aspect

The hedge is short in an attempt to separate the mind from the body as the person walking it thinks. It is also this short to know when the next person should go in and to allow the maintenance of the box trees that make up the hedge.
No prescription or reference is needed to use the labyrinth, but only one person is permitted at a time, to give them space.

History

The labyrinth was created when Birdencaster was just finished and people needed a way to distract themselves or sort out issues they had. They may have wanted to experience more of the countryside, but were unaware of how to do this safely, either due to a lack of knowledge, or confidence to ask someone else for a solution to the issue. The labyrinth was devised as a way to allow them to think on their own or come up with solutions themselves.

Location
Zone 1

Article Contents

Further Resources

References

[1]English Heritage

Acknowledgements

Mrs Kahuna
Mrs Kahuna’s Authour Page