WORK is underway on a forest maze – which the team behind it believe will be the largest construction of its type in the world.

The maze is being created deep in Dalby Forest on the edge of the North York Moors – and it is not expected to be completed until the year 2019.

It is the result of a partnership project between local dry stone waller Mark Ellis, who came up with the idea, the Friends of Dalby Forest and the Forestry Commission.

To help fund it people are being encouraged to buy stones that will be built into the maze after first having the buyers initials carved on to it by sculptor Jennifer Tetlow.

Prices for stones start at £10, prices for initialled stones start at £40, and there are also offers for couples and families who wish to immortalise themselves in the maze's corridors.

The maze, hidden in the heart of the forest, will stand at 6ft 7ins tall and has been aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice.

Mr Ellis described it as a “showcase to the waller’s craft” and added: "The recession has made it more difficult for anyone trying to get a new project off the ground, which has led to a more creative approach towards fundraising.”

The site is a construction site and there is no access for members of the public yet. However, some open days are planned for this year, when visitors will be able to see how the build is progressing.