The paths and steps were laid down in the early 1800’s, and are set over and around a geological feature known as “scowles”, or a system of irregular hollows in the earth, as well as caves which have eroded over time. The erosion exposed veins of iron ore which were mined by people in the area as far back as the Iron Age. J.R.R. Tolkien assisted with some archeological work in the Puzzlewood in the 1920’s, and the area is said to have inspired the mysterious forests of Middle Earth in his Lord of the Rings series.

About ten years ago, I visited Avebury, an ancient site in England near Oxford, with my family. A local couple from the nearby town of Calne accompanied us and served as our guides. Covering about 28 acres, Avebury includes three stone circles, one of which is large enough to contain the entire village. Unlike Stonehenge, you can actually walk among the stones, and our guides produced dowsing rods for my ten-year old daughter Kate to use as she neared the stones of the outer circle. When Kate ...

In the southwest of England, in the midst of the rolling Mendip Hills in Somerset, sits the tiny medieval city of Wells. Named after the natural springs that bubble up behind its magnificent cathedral, Wells is one of my favorite places in all of England. On my first visit there, my mother and I stayed at The Swan, a hotel directly across from the cathedral. The Swan dates back to 1422, but offers modern amenities, including an elevator (or as the English call it, a lift). After our first night, we walked across the street to have breakfast, and were asked by our waitress if we had remembered to move our car. Confused, we answered that it was in the car park at the Swan. She replied that if we planned to leave the city that day, we needed to do so soon, because the roads were about to be blocked off for the Queen’s visit. The Queen! A couple of ...