NottsMaze prepares to open at new location in Newark and Sherwood, near Farnsfield, on August 21

A popular summer attraction is promising an a-maze-ing day out as it prepares to open in a new location.

After spending the past few years in Arnold, the NottsMaze has moved to a bigger site at Combs Farm, 3 Longland Land, Farnsfield, to accommodate its growing popularity.

The maize maze has been a big hit with Nottinghamshire residents since it first launched in 2018, and regularly attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Spread across across a 12 acre site, with about three miles of weaving paths and two viewing platforms to get a bird’s eye view, visitors will also be able to take part in hidden family-friendly activities and games such as a word search scavenger hunt.

The maze will open to visitors from Thursday, August 21 to August 31, from 10am to 4pm each day, and then again throughout the October half-term, from October 17 to November 2.

For those who can handle the dark, torch nights will also run from 8pm to 10pm in August, and 6.30pm to 8.30pm in October.

Organisers will be running a Halloween-theme scare maze, featuring costumed actors and atmospheric lighting to provide some frights during spooky season, on the evenings of October 24, 25, 26, and 27.

NottsMaze owner, Aaron Cowley, said: “We’ve been working closely with the family here at Coombs Farm, and we are really looking forward to welcoming people to our new location.

“We’re open to everyone, all ages, all abilities, and all the paths have been levelled so those in wheelchairs or with pushchairs can enjoy the maze too.

“You could have 150 people in here at a time and not bump into anyone, it’s that big.

“It’s always nice to have something like this which is just a bit of fun for families during the holidays — and anything that gets kids out and about and away from their phones is a good thing.

“We started out as a family business, we’re still a small team, and we absolutely love it.”

More than 70,000 corn plants have been drilled to create the maze, using some innovative technology.

“Originally we used to grow to crops before going out and cutting the paths out by hand, and we’d be shouting direction at people from a cherry picker,” Aaron said.

“Now we can make the design digitally and upload it into AutoCAD software so when we bring the planter in, it knows when to shut itself on and off and plants exactly as it’s been laid out to make the design — it only takes about an hour.

“We rent directly from the farmer, it keeps the field in use and once it’s all over after Halloween, the crop is harvested and used as biomass for renewable power or animal feed. So it’s very sustainable too.”

Tickets can be bought on the gate for daytime entry, although entry to evening events must be bought online 24 hours in advance in order to ensure visitor numbers are properly managed.

There is on-site parking, as well as a bar and cafe.