From Pisa to Egypt: Northbrook College students build maze attractions  

Northbrook College prop-making students put their machining and manufacturing skills to the test, creating a range of eye-catching attractions for this summer’s Cowdray Maize Maze. 

Students created a range of props, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a highly realistic Egyptian tomb with canopic jars, and a beautiful cherry blossom tree for the maze, which opens on Friday 31 July.  

The props were designed to complement this year’s ‘Around the World in 80 Maze’ theme, with visitors able to collect stamps along the trail, enjoy a flower-picking patch and explore a new play area featuring a bale maze.  

The project was completed by students Esther Dreisbach-Pollington, Benjamin Hewitt-Richards, Jack Titterton, Evie Pickford, Amo Wills, Callum Mackay, Morgan Sayers, Ollie Henwood and Lizzie Reimarte Lozberga.  

Nick McDonald, Cowdray’s Land Manager, was responsible for overseeing the project and has liaised with the students regarding the props. He said:  

“Having grown up in Worthing, I had long known about Northbrook College and its excellent courses, so I was delighted when the lead lecturer of the Prop Making and Special Effects BA (Hons) course said they could take on some of the builds for us.  

“After several meetings, we agreed what could be achieved. The students then created sketches and scale models before spending the past few months building several props for this year’s maze.  

“The brief was simple: make the props impressive in scale and durable enough to cope with the weather and thousands of visitors. However, I know it has taken a huge amount of work and planning to achieve it. Each time we visited, I was amazed by the students’ skill, creativity and the range of techniques they used, from welding, wood turning and fibre glassing.”  

Helena Thomas, Principal of Northbrook College, added:  
“One of the things that makes Northbrook special is the opportunity for students to work on ambitious live projects with industry partners. Creating attractions for Cowdray Maize Maze has challenged our students to think creatively, solve problems, work collaboratively and deliver to a professional standard for a real client.

“These experiences are exactly what prepare our students for successful careers. They leave not only with outstanding technical skills, but with the confidence and professional behaviours that come from producing work that will be experienced and enjoyed by the public.”

To learn more about the BA (Hons) Prop Making & Special Effects course available at the college, please click here. To find out more about this year’s Cowdray Maize Maze, please click here.