Puzzlewood: Tolkien's Inspiration For Middle Earth

The “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel of the same name were shot almost entirely in New Zealand, but the inspiration for the mythical realm of Middle-earth came from Tolkien’s homeland, England.

One of the places that Tolkien is said to have been inspired is Puzzlewood, an ancient woodland near Coleford in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. This primordial forest covers 14 acres of mossy rocks, twisted roots and woodland bridges, with a maze of pathways winding through the gullies.

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Photo credit: Neil Barnwell/Flickr

In Roman times, and days before that, there was an open cast iron ore mine in the area. Iron ore extraction has left the region with peculiar landscape features consisting of amorphous shallow pits and irregular labyrinthine hollows up to several meters deep. This kind of geological feature is known as scowles.

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Photo credit: chris white/Flickr

Puzzlewood have also played host to a number of television dramas including Dr Who, Merlin and Atlantis.

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The “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel of the same name were shot almost entirely in New Zealand, but the inspiration for the mythical realm of Middle-earth came from Tolkien’s homeland, England.