Puzzlewood – The Enchanted Forest

Puzzlewood, located in Gloucestershire’s gorgeous and historic Forest of Dean. What an enchanting and fairytale of a place!  I was not expecting to see such beauty as was met with when I visited this idyllic forest, so mossy, so natural and yes .. so green. Puzzlewood has been used in some great films, including:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)

Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016)

The Secret Garden (2020)

It took a little under 2 hours of us wandering around the many footpaths and trails, which at times I’m sure we tracked several paths more than once – but I wasn’t in a rush. The heavens opened, torrential rain followed by hailstones and then sunshine, but the day wasn’t damped one little bit – it was worth getting wet for, and let’s be honest – just shelter under a tree as there were loads to chose from! Wandering through Puzzlewood you realise how strong the roots of trees actually are as you literally walk past the roots of the trees as they tower above like skyscrapers – though you feel safe and protected by nature’s own canopy. Trails were narrow at parts, many steps up and down – sometimes sideways and often slippery and muddy – but you forget all about these things as you admire the beauty around. I would have loved to do some long exposure photography to get some better clarity into the images as it was dark in some areas (tree cover) but there were so many people making their way around I felt I would be constantly ‘getting in the way’.

As you make your way through the maze of paths and trails you are greeted by little people – Kodama.

Found in Japanese folklore, Kodama are tree spirits that inhabit trees, and the term is also used to denote a tree in which a Kodama resides. As one of the world’s incredibly rare temperate rainforests, Puzzlewood’s otherworldly landscape is the perfect backdrop.