Oak Lane Labyrinth is an all year outdoor Chartres labyrinth with a grass path wide enough for wheelchairs. The labyrinth was (co)created in 1998 when it and the surrounding land were transformed from conventionally farmed arable cropland to organically certified lush biodiversity in the Suffolk countryside near Bury St. Edmunds

All labyrinths have a single path, where like life itself, the journey is as important as the destination. Walking a labyrinth can aid us in our connection to our Higher Self and the energies of the earth and the spirit of the place in whatever century our feet touch the ground.

Both the place and the design identify a Chartres labyrinth from other patterns found in labyrinths.

The Place: Chartres is a town in France , and was the spiritual centre of the Druids of Northern Europe, who recognised the energetic qualities of the place.  Centuries later the Christian Cathedral rich in complex sacred geometry and spiritually significant architecture full of esoteric imagery was built and remains for us today.

The Design: Inside the cathedral is a labyrinth, aligned similarly to Stonehenge, to coincide with that of the midsummer soltstice sunrise.The intended design of the labyrinth is unique in that it has a “rose” pattern at its centre, and across with equal length arms Celtic cross whose origins date from antiquity and echo in mystical Islam and Hindu systems.

These together set the Chartres labyrinth apart from other labyrinths, and it is this pattern or cosmogram which is most used by labyrinth makers today in Australia, South Africa, USA and Europe.

This is the imprint left after hundreds of foosteps walked the temporary chartres labyrinth during the Medieval Fayre at Rougham Old Airfield in the summer of 2006. A true replica of a medieval Chartres labyrinth it was 25 metres in diameter and used about 500 wooden stakes to create. (Photo.S.Burley)