With tentacles the length of a football pitch and a head the size of a barn this octopus could be the stuff of nightmares.

The giant sea monster is unlikely to wrap its arms around anyone as it is made of maize, although with four miles of meandering pathways it could take several hours to find your way out of its lair.

The leafy creature is part of an eight-acre maize maze on Tulleys Farm in Turners Hill, near East Grinstead.

It's the sixth time the farm has been home to such a labyrinth, and each year Stuart Beare , who runs the family business, has added something new.

This time it is tunnels, and Stuart and his team have expanded the experience to include pedal carts, wagon and trailer rides and gem mining, as well as a host of mini mazes.

In the gem mine children sift through basalt and earth with sieves to find semi precious stones, which they can take home.

Tulleys' first maze in 1998 was a dragon, followed by a pirate ship, a castle, a wild west theme, and finally a giant tiger last year.

The octopus is the creation of English designer Adrian Fisher who started the maize maze phenomenon in America in 1993.

Inspiration for the sea monster came from Stuart's children, nine-year-old Kate, and Samuel, seven.

Stuart said: "They both said an octopus, as they thought it would look really good with the tentacles.

"Adrian started off with an image of a cartoon octopus and worked out a network of paths, fitting the design to that. It's a three stage process."

The planning for each season takes about nine months.

Stuart said: "We sow the crop at the end of April and it tends to come up in the third week of May.

"We then have six weeks to map out and cut down the paths, roll them level, lay electricity and water cables needed, set out the picnic area and all the other attractions.

"It's hard work and costs tens of thousands of pounds, but it's worth it.

"Last year we had 32,000 visitors.

"It's better than growing cabbages."

At the moment the maize is between 4ft and 5ft high and will grow to about 8ft at a rate of 8in a week.

It's cattle maize, and is harvested in September and given to a local farmer who in turn provides Tulleys with manure to help grow the crop next year.

Last year Tulleys was unanimously voted the winner of the first Farm Retail Association's Farm Retailer of the Year Award.

For further information about opening times and ticket prices, call 01342717071 or log on to www.tulleysfarm.com