In approaching it was very clear we were entering a very unique place. I have spent a lot of time in forests and woodlands but none of them have been quite like this one. It was not difficult to see why they use it as a set for dramas such as Merlin and Lord of the Rings.
You walk among the roots and that is immediately humbling as the trees emerge from above you. Your perspective is challenged throughout the walk as you amble through the dimly lit forest. Every so often a shard of light cascades onto the forest floor and you find yourself stepping into it without even thinking. The smell of damp moss fills the air and there is a chill that you can't seem to escape.
From time to time you are presented with stepping stones or bridges all carved from the trees that once grow here. This is the land of trees and you are fortunate to be allowed to visit. There is interest and sculpture wherever you look as your eyes fill up with shapes that change in the shadows. There is no doubt that you are being watched as the woodland reveals its every secret.
As the branches twist around each other and the leaves begin to turn into autumn colours you are transported to a different place and a different time. Childhood beckons as the urge to climb trees returns reminding you of a time now lost. The connection with nature is complete as the woodland engulfs you and your journey within begins. As a family there did not seem the need to talk as the silence echoed through the pathways and drifted up through the tree tops.
The walk through the woodland is a walk to softly rest within your soul as your spirit is reconnected with the myths and legends that surround trees. You expect to hear horse hooves behind you and see men in cloaks with swords at the ready. You expect the unexpected. It is a place for imaginations to be set free and tales to be woven through every knotted branch and trunk. 
As we emerged I shivered as the chill began to leave me but even now, weeks after the visit, I can sometimes feel the chill and sense the unknown behind every corner. An experience that will never quite leave me.
Visit Puzzelwood in the autumn just as the leaves are turning.
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