Families enjoy Manydown Maize Maze (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Families enjoy Manydown Maize Maze

9:24am Thursday 2nd August 2012 in Local By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter

IT’S an a-maze-ing attraction – and this year, a popular summer holiday feature has a distinctive farm theme to it.

Hundreds of families have already visited the tractor-shaped maize maze which has popped up for the summer at Manydown Farm on the edge of Basingstoke.

In 2010, the farm, in Worting Road, constructed the maze for the first time, growing the crop in the shape of a Second World War Spitfire.

Since then, the summer event has – literally – grown each year, and this year there is even more to keep children entertained, including trampolines, a sandpit, hay bales to climb, go-carts, farmyard animals and face-painting.

Last year, the maze was shaped as a honeybee, but the complicated design had families spending hours lost in the corn. This year, the maze has been made slightly easier, and it is expected to take around half-an-hour to complete.

Mark Drummond, one of the owners of the farm, said: “We’ve had around 2,000 people through so far. The maize is our best-ever crop. We have been really lucky.”

The maze is created using satellite technology to mark it out, before paint was sprayed on the ground and the crops were cut along the edges of the coloured areas.

Kit Milne, eight, from Whitchurch, said: “It took us about 20 minutes and it was fun. You have to find things as you go around. We have done it before but it was harder. It was better this year and easier.”

Kelly Doublet, 33, from Winchester Street, Basingstoke took her two children.

She said: “We come every year with our friends. It’s really good and it’s definitely needed in Basingstoke because otherwise you have to go further afield. It’s not too expensive because you pay to come in and then everything is free.”

The maze, which is a paid-for attraction, is open from 10am to 6pm until September 2.