And home to the "Puzzlewood Treasure"
If Aokigahara is the world's most frightening forest, then Puzzlewood must be its most wonderful. This forest is classified as an "ancient woodland," and lies near Coleford in Gloucestershire, England. The 14 acre site is a tourist attraction now, but in addition to serving as inspiration for J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien, it also has a history that stretches back to the Iron Age and probably earlier.
One of Puzzlewood's most remarkable geological features is its impressive collection of scowles. These are a feature which is found almost exclusively in and around Gloucestershire, due to its unusual geology. Scowles are a form of erosion which creates craggy small cliffs, caves, and trenches in the ground.
In Puzzlewood, these scowles have been colonized by ferns, plants, bats, and other small animals. But during the Iron Age, people capitalized on the geologic forms by excavating them even deeper to get to the iron ore that they revealed. Some of the scowles were deepened this way - others were actually filled in, as the ancient excavators back-filled their holes.
In 1848 a group of workmen discovered a "small cavity" in the rocks. They reached inside and pulled out three earthenware jars which had been hidden there during the Roman occupation. The jars contained over 3,000 Roman coins, which came to be known as "The Puzzlewood Treasure."
Puzzlewood is a gorgeous bit of woodland, dripping with mosses and ferns, and with an overall fairytale air. In the 1800s the property's owner laid down a system of narrow, meandering trails, and in the 20th century the trails were opened to the public, with a donation box at the entrance. It has an impressive display of bluebells in the springtime, and is also home to badgers, foxes, and a variety of native birds.
If an afternoon's visit isn't enough, you can also rent a cottage on the grounds. These small guest houses are fully equipped, and include the privilege of roaming the Puzzlewood grounds after normal visiting hours. (I wonder what the woods are like under a full moon on a summer's night?) They also accommodate birthday parties, weddings, and other large groups. Several shows have been filmed at Puzzlewood, including a 2010 episode of "Dr. Who" and several episodes of the BBC series "Merlin."
In recent years, Puzzlewood's management has added visitor facilities, including a café, gift shop, playground, pony rides, and others. Hopefully the management will maintain its restraint, and the beauty of Puzzlewood will remain relatively unspoiled and uncommercialized.