Before going into the wood I read a bit about its history. 2000 years ago Puzzlewood was an open cast iron ore mine. The pathways cut between the rocks are called Scowles. The pathways were laid over 200 years ago by a local mine owner to amuse his friends, 100 years later it opened to the public with an honesty box to raise funds for the local church, and since then it has remained mostly unchanged.

There are wooden fences around all the paths to make sure that the moss, ferns and fungi and other plants are protected.

The stone crevices seemed huge to me as I am quite a small bear.

There are lots of steps up and down all around the woodland. It took me quite a while to get about….

Everything was looking very green except me!

The moss that covers all the stones looks quite furry; I think I would blend in quite well if I was green too….

The humans who look after Puzzlewood have built some rustic wooden chairs that appear here and there. This one was just the right size for me to rest my legs for five minutes.

The old gnarly roots of the trees have formed shapes over the stones.

It is possible to spend a very long time in Puzzlewood as you notice different things walking around and forget exactly where you are!

There are wooden bridges going over deep mossy holes. I wouldn’t want to fall down there…

After spotting another possible seating area I hurried along this walkway as needed to rest my legs again…

I wasn’t disappointed. It was wonderful to relax in this spot, a robin was watching me and I could hear other birds singing. Puzzlewood is a very peaceful place.

Some of the moss covered rocks and trees resemble animals. I am not sure whether the camera has captured the elephant very well, but it really did look like a green elephant. Can you see it?

A little fence had been erected to keep this area safe, it was also excellent for me to chamber up and get a better view.

Puzzlewood has a magical feel; it has been used many times for filming and has featured in films and television including Dr Who, Merlin, The Secret Garden & Star Wars.

If you are tempted to visit wait a couple of weeks as the wood is closed from 9/5/24 until 21/5/24 for filming something that is a secret!

For more information about Puzzlewood see: https://www.puzzlewood.net/

Horace the Alresford Bear 8/5/2024