Current News and Events
New for 2010 - Willow Maze.
Come and discover our new living willow maze; with its tunnels, dead ends and domes . The maze is a work of art in it's own right and as the willow grows the maze will develop from its winter skeleton to a leafy, shady hideaway.
Puzzlewood Orchard Project.
The traditional Perry orchards at Puzzlewood Farm are to be restored with the aid of a grant from Natural England. The process of planting new trees and restoring the old stock will be carried out in partnership with the Natural England Stewardship scheme. The project includes the opportunity for local schools to be involved in all stages of the orchard development; from planting the trees, to picking the fruit. This will give local children the opportunity to experience the natural environment and learn more about where their food comes from and how it is produced.
The project was launched in February; Six local schools sent over 160 children to help at the initial planting. They also heard more about the project and how they could be involved in the future.
The Puzzlewood Orchard project will be phased over ten years. It includes the planting of traditional Perry trees and other specimen varieties bearing a wide variety of fruit. In addition to the orchard development, the grassland at Puzzlewood will be restored to wildflower meadows and the hedges laid in the traditional way. The whole scheme will be of benefit to the wildlife of the area, in particular the protected bat species that roost locally.
This is a fantastic opportunity for local children to be involved in all the stages of the orchard regeneration. As they progress through their education we hope they will return frequently to see the orchards progress. There is still scope for more school involvement. Head teachers wishing to involve their schools should contact helen@puzzlewood.net .
Christmas at Puzzlewood.
Puzzlewood opened its doors for a special christmas experience. Santa could be found in his magical Christmas Grotto. He even managed real snow!
Chris & Cheryl's special day celebrated at Puzzlewood.
Chris, Cheryl and their guests celebrated their recent wedding with a 'hand fasting' ceremony at Puzzlewood.
The path to the lookout was marked with Marigolds and wellie boots were the foot wear of choice; the weather was brilliant and a fantastic day was had by all. Congratulations to Chris and Cheryl!
Halloween fun at Puzzlewood.
They came, they searched and they found....... Pumpkins with different faces! Each pumpkin had a letter by it, which helped to find the name of the Halloween witch (Samantha). There was a small prize for all the Halloween witch hunters.
The 'guess the weight' pumpkin weighed 12.5kg. Congratulations to all six winners who will each receive annual family passes.
Merlin.
Colin Morgan (Merlin), Bradley James (Arthur), Katie McGrath (Morgana) and 'special guests' filmed scenes in Puzzlewood for the magical family drama. Look out for Puzzlewood in the episode "The Nightmare Begins" shown on BBC1 on the 3rd October.
"Wilfully disobeying Gaius, Merlin risks everything to help Morgana. Lives are in danger, loyalties are tested and Morgana is reunited with the strange young druid boy Mordred (Asa Butterfield), whom the Dragon has predicted will one day kill Arthur."
Click here for BBC iPlayer:"Episode 3: The Nightmare Begins".
See behind the scenes filming at Puzzlewood and interviews with the cast:"Merlin Secrets & Magic".
August 2009 - Dr Who films at Puzzlewood.
Dr Who (Matt Smith) and his assistant (Karen Gillan) spent 8 nights filming in the atmospheric Puzzlewood. The new series of Dr Who will be shown in early 2010. Look out for Puzzlewood in episodes 3 and 4. Its going to be good!
Prize winners.
Puzzlewood recently ran competitions with the local newspapers to win family season tickets.
The winners were Mrs Chambers from Huntley, Gloucestershire and Mrs Patricia Kocan from Abergavenny. We hope they enjoy many pleasant visits to Puzzlewood.
Harry Potter Feast at Puzzlewood.
Puzzlewood hosted a Harry Potter themed banquet in their new education/party room. The room was decorated with Hogwarts house banners and all the children and staff enjoyed a specially prepared feast
Thursday 13th August - Found in the Forest
The local youth theatre group for children aged between 8 and 18 years will be writing, rehearsing and performing their own work in Puzzlewood. Performance is free, with normal admission.
Calving time at Puzzlewood.
It's spring time at Puzzlewood, and as well as the Bluebells appearing, the Highland cattle and others are giving birth. We've just had some twins born, along with this little one.
New Sheep and lambs at Puzzlewood
We have just rehomed some Soay sheep and lambs. Two of the lambs are being hand reared.
Past News and Events
Saturday 27th June 2009 - St Johns School Family & Craft Day.
St Johns C of E Primary School, Coleford held their summer fayre at Puzzlewood. There was something for everyone, with stalls showcasing local crafts, and all sorts of fun things to try; from Wellie Wanging and 'Beat the goalie' to a well stocked raffle and Silent auction. The fayre raised a magnificent £1500 which will be used to buy additional PE equipment. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Sunday May 17th 2009 - Story Telling by Tim Oakes
Tim Oakes and his elves, strolled around the woods telling traditional stories; which were enjoyed by all. Tim Oakes is a local storyteller, and has performed all over the country and abroad.
May 2009 - Merlin magic returns to Puzzlewood.
Filming returned again to Puzzlewood, with the cast of the fantasy drama filming in the woods for three days in April. The results can be seen in the new series, scheduled to be shown in the Autumn. As previously, the cast were really friendly, and Colin Morgan took time to talk to local fans.
BBC Merlin episode "The Labyrinth of Gedref" great showcase for Puzzlewood 29th November 2008
Puzzlewood served up a spot of sorcery when it was used as a location for the hit BBC One fantasy drama Merlin . Film crews worked their magic when they shot scenes for the drama that follows the early life of the wizarding wonder from Arthurian legend. Actors Colin Morgan, who plays Merlin, and Bradley James, who is the young King Arthur, spent three days filming at Puzzlewood
The thousands of visitors who come to Puzzlewood,in the Forest of Dean each year will be able to relate with the millions of people who watch Merlin, as about one third of the entire episode, including the key scenes was set at Puzzlewood.The location has inspired many viewers who have followed the link from the "BBC web site" to this site.
BBC Radio 4 "Open Country" at Puzzlewood October 2008
Matt Baker, the TV and radio presenter came to Puzzlewood to see for himself the fantastic scenery, and the Scowles within. This is part of a special report on the "Forest of Dean" to be broadcast in November. Jon Hoyle, from Gloucestershire Archaeology Service, was there to provide an explanation on the formation of Scowles.
Middle Earth Trail Half Term 18th Oct to 2nd Nov 2008
Puzzlewood is believed by many to have been the inspiration for Middle Earth in the epic tale "Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien. As a tribute, Puzzlewood held a "Middle Earth Trail" over the two week half term. Children were able to search for Elves, Orcs and Wizards, then claim their prize.
Competition Update, Foal named Nero July 2008
We have named our new Foal "Nero". The name was suggested by readers of "The Forester", "The Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Review" and visitors to the BBC Website. Nero is in honour of Neroli Jones, the lady who helped deliver Nero. Incidentally, Nero is latin for Powerful. The winners all receive family tickets to Puzzlewood, and runners up have received a free child place.
Our unexpected Foal and competition June 2008
A racehorse breeder from Australia got more than she expected from her visit to Puzzlewood when she helped deliver a foal to one of their miniature Shetland Ponies. Neroli Jones from New South Wales was on a day trip to Puzzlewood as part of a three week holiday in England, when 3 year old Tara started to foal. Neroli used her expertise to deliver the colt. Mother and baby are doing well and can be seen at Puzzlewood.
The birth, was reported on the BBC West "Points West" evening news, and also on local radio, as well as appearing in local press and web sites.
BBC News-Tourist delivers foal in forest
Gloucestershire News- Foal delivered by Tourist
We are currently running a competition (closes End June) to name our new arrival. The winner will receive a family entrance ticket to Puzzlewood. Please send entries to foal@puzzlewood.net. More information on miniature Shetland Ponies and other animals can be found by Clicking Here
Pygmy Goats are here !! Feb 2008
Two beautiful baby pygmy goats Africa and Alice, have now come to live at Puzzlewood. These twin baby sisters were born on 4th Feb 2008.
Easter Trail 2008
The 2008 Easter Trail was a great success, with hundreds of children tracking down the animals names to claim their Easter treat. Luckily the wood gave nice shelter from the cold winds that were around that weekend
BBC's Big Read
In 2003, the BBC One series, "The Big Read" voted The Lord of the Rings as Britain's favourite book. It was championed by Ray Mears, who came to Puzzlewood to promote the book.
