Meadowvole Maze will be replaced at Muncaster Castle

The Meadowvole Maze attained cult status in its 23 years at Muncaster Castle, and has been enjoyed by multiple generations. 

Standing at the heart of Muncaster's gardens, it tells the story of Max, a young meadowvole who needs help to get home safely.

The indoor maze is designed for the young at heart and challenges participants to answer questions about the outdoors in order to progress, with bigger animals such as badgers and foxes posing a threat. 

Ewan Frost-Pennington, who grew up with the Meadowvole Maze and now runs Muncaster's tourism operations, is 'heartbroken' to see it go. 

He said: "Max the meadowvole is weirdly a bit of a cult. Muncaster used to have bears and when they went off to Dudley zoo, we were left with a bear pit. My parents were curious about what to do with it. When the opportunity came to put a new attraction inside the bear pit, they took it."

An introduction video is shown to those taking on the maze, and having remained unchanged in its 23 years, many fans of Max, including Ewan, now know it off by heart. 

Max will be missed (Image: Supplied)

Ewan added: "It's been a fantastic feature at Muncaster for the last 23 years. I was eight when Max was eight, and there are multiple generations that have seen Max as a kid and now take their kids to see him. It's a big indoor space that hasn't been invested in. Even though it still looks great, we want to do something a bit different at Muncaster.

"We're going through a generational shift, from my parents to me, and I'm heartbroken about it. I'm actually completely in love with the meadowvole maze. I'm very sad to see it changing, but things need to change and move on. We're going to be developing a new attraction there. Max will still be a big feature at Muncaster."

Events will be held on Saturday, January 14 and Sunday, January 15 to give the public the chance to officially say goodbye.