Puzzlewood has to be the most magical woodland in all of England, right? Because I’m not sure this otherworldly land can be beat!
The ancient forest is beyond enchanting thanks to its twisted tree roots and craggy gorges, that are all covered in a blanket of vibrant green moss.
With rocky boulders, leafy ferns, wonky stepping stones and fun rickety bridges to cross. Theres no denying that Puzzlewood boasts a unique mystical aura.
So before you go, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Puzzlewood.
In this article...
Where is Puzzlewood?
It’s probably best to begin with where you’ll find this magical woodland.
Puzzlewood is in the beautiful Forest of Dean, an area of Gloucestershire in England. Which happens to sit surprisingly close to the border of Wales, so you could easily pop over to the country of Wales to do some extra exploring. If that’s an option, then I recommend doing the beautiful Four Waterfalls Walk, or perhaps even taking an iconic hike up Pen y Fan – the tallest mountain in South Wales!
What is the Puzzlewood address for the carpark?
The official address and postcode for Puzzlewood is: Puzzlewood, Perrygrove Road, Coleford GL16 8QB
There is a vast free carpark for all its visitors. Plus, as you need to prebook, you shouldn’t encounter any issues with finding a parking space. Hurrah!
Is puzzlewood worth a visit?
In this article I’m going to cover everything you need to know about planning your trip to this intriguing woodland. In my opinion, Puzzlewood is 100% worth a visit because it oozes magic. Its an epic place for children (or your inner child) to let their imagination run wild.
Trolls, fairies, dragons or wizards? It’s all possible here.
How hard is the woodland walk?
The Puzzlewood walk has a mixture of flat-ish dirt trails, uneven rocky steps and wonky wooden bridges fabricated from tree branches. There are some rustic wooden handrails to aid you up or down the slippery steps, which is helpful. Thankfully, they have all been made to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the woodland, and not deter from its natural beauty. Had they used regular metal poles, they would have stuck out like a sore thumb!
Overall I would say the walk is fairly easy, no matter your fitness level or age. You certainly don’t need to be an active walker or hiker to get this one under your belt.
What footwear do you need?
As the woodland is quite dark and damp. That does mean some sections can get a bit slick under foot, especially if you’re visiting following heavy rainfall. If that’s the case, expect plenty of muddy puddles, squelchy mud and slippery wooden bridges.
To avoid falling over, you’ll want to opt for a grippy walking shoe or boot to give you plenty of traction. If you’re in the need of a pair of walking boots, maybe take a look at why the Adidas GX4’s are my current favourite walking boots.
During the summer you may be able to get away with wearing trainers. Although, having said that. We visited in August and I’m glad we had our walking boots on, as it was still mega muddy!
I wouldn’t recommend attempting this in your summer sandals, thats for sure. Let your sliders and flip-flops sit this one out.
Once you’re in the depths of the 14 acre ancient woodland, there’s no signage directing you around the one-way trail. Although I guess it is possible to get lost, there is still quite an obvious beaten path for you to follow. Some sections do splinter off here and there, with a high or low option. But overall you can easily figure out where you need to go. We never once felt like we had lost the trail, or that we were aimlessly walking around in circles.
I would allow a good 2-3 hours to have plenty of time soaking in all the magic of the woodland. But you might want to allow longer in total, especially if you plan on stopping at the café or letting little ones play at the park.
What are the opening hours
Puzzlewood is shut for majority of winter. Closing its doors from the end of November, through to the end of February.
During shoulder season (March & November) it’s open from 10am, but only Saturday- Monday with last entry at 3:30pm. Then from April through to October its open daily. Check their website for closing and last entry times, as these vary from month to month.
Entry prices
All tickets must be pre-booked, so a little bit of forward planning is essential when it comes to visiting Puzzlewood. Without a pre-booked ticket you will be turned away, so don’t make that mistake!
Tickets for Puzzlewood cost:
| Adult | £9.50 |
| Child | £8.00 |
| Child (2 and under) | Free |
Sadly they don’t seem to have a reduced family ticket option, and It’s also worth mentioning that little tots will need to walk. As you can’t bring a pushchair around the woodland area.
When is the best time to visit?
As with most places in the UK, Puzzlewood can get super busy during the school summer holidays and bank holidays. Which can be a bit of a logistical nightmare when it comes to navigating the narrow trail inside the woodland.
Your best option would be a week day during term time, but that’s not an option for most people. So failing that, opt for first thing at the weekend. Although the weather would (hopefully) be better during the summer, I think this place looks incredible during Autumn, with all the fallen fiery leaves.
If the weather takes a real turn for the worse, and it becomes dangerous for visitors to walk around. Then Puzzlewood will close, and tickets will be refunded. If the weather is looking iffy on the day that you’re due to attend, then check their website by 9am for an update on the situation. Especially if you’re travelling a distance to get here. Nobody likes a wasted journey!
Food and drink options
If you haven’t brought a picnic with you, don’t panic, you wont go hungry! There is a small café inside Puzzlewood, selling all your typical café snacks like sandwiches, cakes and ice-creams. The café has an outdoor area with plenty of picnic tables, so you can sit outside in the sunshine and watch the animals in the field.
Places to stay nearby
If you’re needing somewhere to stay nearby, they actually have their own accommodation onsite in the form of several cosy cottages. The Brucie-bonus of staying onsite, means you can join in with feeding the animals!
Puzzlewood Cottage – A single story cottage that sleeps 4 people, plus a cot if needed. This one is full of exposed beams, and the no stairs make it a safe option for bringing children!
Puzzlewood Patch – is part of the original farmhouse and sleeps 4 people (plus a cot).
Puzzlewood House – The biggest out of all the properties! This one sleeps 8 people (plus cot) which is spread across 3 bedrooms.
Check here for their availability.
If none of those options tickle your fancy, here’s some options within the Forest of Dean
Or check out where we stayed, at the fabulous Airbnb called Odda’s Lodge!
Whats been filmed at Puzzlewood?
It’s hardly surprising, but Puzzlewood has been used as the mystical backdrop to copious films and tv shows! Most recently its showcased in The Secret Garden, but before that its featured in:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Jack the Giant Slayer, Doctor Who & Merlin. It’s even been shown in the Netflix series of Our Planet, which is narrated by the legend that is Sir David Attenborough!
Other things to do at Puzzlewood
Although the mysterious woodland is obviously the main attraction here, there is actually more for little ones to enjoy at Puzzlewood.
Animals to see
Right beside the woods, there is a field that’s now home to some kindly rescued farm animals. During your visit, expect to see highland cows, Shetland ponies, adorable donkeys, fluffy sheep and cute waddling ducks.
You can’t pet or feed these animals (unless you sleep here) but it’s still nice to watch what they get up to.
We had no idea these were here before we came, as they aren’t mentioned on their website!
Activities for children
The woodland walk will be quite the adventure for children. There’s muddy puddles to splash in, stepping stones and rickety wooden bridges to cross. Plus the ancient moss covered woods will send their imagination into overdrive.
But to keep them even more engaged you can download the Puzzlewood app, where they can do an interactive treasure hunt to find hidden coins inside the woods.
Theres also a small maze and play park here too!
Send your imagination into overdrive
Now that you’re equipped with everything you need to plan your trip to this magical realm. All thats left to do, is watch some of the featured films before you go. Then, whilst you’re wandering around the woodland. You can try to spot where the famous scenes were filmed, and perhaps even have a go at recreating them!
We loved our walk around Puzzlewood, and we hope it sparks your imagination.
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