Travelling from the north of the country, visitors pass through the stunning scenery of Snowdonia to reach King Arthur’s Labyrinth in Corris, mid-Wales. Towering mountains and beautiful lush valleys abound. It is a fitting setting for a visitor attraction that truly does take you back into time.
Traditional Welsh Crafts
The attraction itself is housed on the site of a former slate mines and entered through Corris Craft centre, a village of purpose-built buildings, housing a range of gift and craft shops. In addition to the visitor centre, there is a traditional toy shop, a pottery where visitors can throw and decorate their own pots as well as purchase a range of beautiful giftware, a candle shop, where visitors can see candles being made, wood working areas, a needlecraft and quilting supply shop, jewellers, glass and leather shops.
Into Arthur's Labyrinth
The adventure into the labyrinth begins with all members of the group being fitted with a hard hat. The group is then led through a dark tunnel into the heart of the mountain, where a robed guide awaits them. From there, visitors truly do step back in time, journeying by boat deep into the heart of the mountain, through the great waterfall, where fantastic tableaus are laid out to bring the story of King Arthur in Wales to life.
The atmosphere in the depths of the mountain is both thrilling and cold, so warm clothes and sturdy shoes are essential. An advisory note cautions that young children find the experience a little scary, but much depends on the child. The guide proceeds at a fair pace around the labyrinth, which the infirm may struggle to contend with –an added issue is the uneven and wet ground surface and the extremely low light levels.
Journeying back to the modern day by boat, visitors are heard to remark on the passage of time, which is lost track of within the absorbing stories. Whether you believe in the legends or not, this is certainly a visitor experience like no other.
Bard’s Quest
The Bard’s Quest is an additional attraction for visitors housed on the same site. The Quest begins in a very promising way, as visitors are welcomed by a talking tree and invited to enter into a Quest to hear the stories of Wales and therefore maintain them for future generations. Story-telling in Wales is a great tradition. The attraction itself is, sadly, a little tired, with many of the audio tracks not playing particularly well and the maze itself somewhat overgrown. However, the opportunities for hide and seek games are many.
Children’s Activities
The site also offers a children’s play area and outdoor picnic benches, some of which are under cover, as the weather is notoriously changeable. The tea room offers a good selection of drinks and snacks. Visitors are advised that, during peak periods, the attraction is extremely popular and, as places on each Labyrinth tour are limited, arriving early is recommended.
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