Striding forward, a spring in his step, George the Connemara pony carries me into a labyrinth cut into a field of teasels. The path winds, branches and splits. I let him choose the route, wondering how innate his animal sense of direction might be.
We soon reach a dead end and must turn. After 10 minutes or so, he is less confident and rather slower. I intervene a little, suggesting a right turn, fearing we might otherwise be lost for ever. Again, we hit a dead end.
I eye the prickly, dense wall of teasels, contemplating an uncharted exit. Too scratchy. On horseback, I can see over the forest of prickles, but not well enough to navigate. If I were walking, they would be well over my head.
At High Ash farm, we are claiming (with no verifiable evidence) that this is the world’s first teasel maze. Having done my time traipsing dark, barren maize mazes when my kids were younger, this alternative of five acres of teasels has much more to recommend it.
Each conical head blooms with a ring of lavender inflorescence. The air is busy with bees, hoverflies and butterflies. A red admiral flies by and a peacock settles on a teasel near us. Although it has not rained for a while, water, maybe dew, has gathered in little mini pools at the stem where the leaves join. Aphids and small insects die in the water, making an insect broth that the teasel can feed off. A passive carnivore. George and I eventually find our way out. He bursts into a little trot of relief.
A week later, I return on foot. It’s a sunny day and the walkers are out in force. A toddler runs excitedly ahead of his parents, glancing back to check they are following. The maze looks quite different now, as the heat has pushed the plants into autumnal browns. Now the flowering is complete, the teasels enter their next phase, producing seed that will feed the goldfinches.
Whether the teasel maze is a world first or not, there is no better place to get lost in nature.
Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian’s Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount