Maze Hill is believed to have taken its name from Sir Algernon May.
Sir Algernon May lived nearby until 1693. Another May - Robert May - lived here in 1683. ’Moys Hill’ is marked on Rocque’s 1745 map. By the time of Greenwood’s 1827 map, it is ’Maize Hill’. It had settled to ’Maze Hill’ on Bacon’s map of 1888.
It is unknown when the road came into existence although the east side of the line of the road was the location for gravel extraction until the 1650s. After the gravel was fully extracted, the land started to become the site for the ’homes of gentlemen, scholars and naval officers’. (Hidden London)
The southern end of Maze Hill is adjacent to an area marked on Rocque’s 1745 map as ’Vanbrugh Fields’ named after Sir John Vanbrugh (1719-1726) who lived here. Vanbrugh Castle was built around 1720 at the junction of the current Maze Hill and Westcombe Park Road.
Former slave and abolitionist campaigner Olaudah Equiano lived briefly at 111 Maze Hill.
The John Roan School is situated at the southern end of Maze Hill.
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