The maze at Longleat Safari Park attracts thousands of families every year and the viewing tower provides a central vantage point over the 1.69 miles of pathway
The maze at Longleat was planted in 1975 with more than 16,000 English yew trees. In 2004 Carpenter Oak & Woodland were contracted to build and install a new viewing tower. Made from Douglas fir (with the exception of the beautiful hand riven oak shakes on the roof) the tower is constructed rather like a spiral staircase with the majority of its weight being taken on a central pillar that is located onto a steel pin in foundations at its base. A scaffold was constructed over the maze from an area beyond its perimeter that was used for setting out the pre-fabricated section. A crane was then used to facilitate the final assembly within the maze.
The majority of the weight of the tower is supported on a single turned post located onto a steel pinThe tower provides a viewing point over the 1.69 acre maze
The tower is contructed rather like a big spiral staircase
