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The Chinese Garden is intended
as a place of quiet and tranquility,
planted with exotic flowers
and shrubs and dominated by
a statue of the Buddha. A
small stream runs through
the middle that is crossed
by an ornate Chinese Bridge.
At one end is a small Chinese
Pavilion which contains original
Chinese paintings illustrating
stories from two traditional
Chinese poems. On the Pavilion's
ceiling are four colourful
dragons. |
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To cross the crocodile swamp
or reach the entrance to the
Grotto, you must carefully
negotiate the wooden stepping
stones. In all but the driest
conditions, water flows over
the top of the grotto into
the pool. Inside is the grotto's
guardian, a reptilian monster
who feeds on human heads.
There is an escape route that
leads out along a below-ground
passageway to the Gingerbread
House. |
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The mysterious Celtic Totems
in the centre of the Secret
Forest, designed by Elizabeth
Brodie as a homage to Celtic
and prehistoric art, are three
decorated six foot poles,
supporting heads of women
carved in stone. In another
part of the Forest you may
find the Cobra about to strike,
the work of sculptor Guy Elder,
who also carved the Black
Bird in the Giant's Castle.
But the most imposing sculptures
are the works of Alan Less
- in particular, the Time
Man and the Giant Bird that
sits on its nest guarding
its egg and surveying the
whole of the Forest. |
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The centrepiece of the Secret
Forest is the Pagoda designed
by Vernon Gibberd. Over thirty-five
feet high, there are 42 wrought-iron
steps to the high balcony,
which can accommodate nearly
fifty people at once and provides
a spectacular view over the
Secret Forest. |
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The Castle with No Entrance
is the home of a greedy Goblin
who guards his treasure constantly
and watches for intruders
from his high window in the
tower. For fear of robbers,
he has blocked up all doors
and gates into the castle,
but there is a hidden entrance
that leads to a secret way
in. There is also a way out
at the top of the tower leading
onto the overhead walkway.
Within the castle is the Well
where the Goblin keeps his
treasure and, pinned to the
wall, is his iniquitous family
tree. |
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The Inner Wood lies at the
entrance of the Secret Forest
and is largely enclosed by
trees and branches that form
a canopy over your head. Hiding
within the Inner Wood are
several animals including
deer and foxes, a wolf and
a wild boar. |
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Below the Overhead Walkway
is an enclosed passage leading
from the Castle with No Entrance
to the Inner Wood. At the
end of the passage is the
chained prisoner in his cell.
Maybe he was put there by
the Goblin who caught him
trying to steal his treasure.
Maybe he was imprisoned by
the Witch, but most believe
he was locked up by the Chinese
Wizard of the Pagoda, who
caught him trying to elope
with his daughter. |
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The Gate with the Three Entrances
leads you into the Maze and
the realm of the Green Man.
The Green Man is made of solid
oak and lives in the centre
of the Maze, enclosed by other
sculpture representing a variety
of animals and plants that
thrive by day and night. The
Green Man is an ancient Spirit
of Nature, ecologically rather
than literally green, with
mystical powers over all life.
Take one of the entrances
into the maze and if you make
no wrong turning, you will
reach his lair, passing other
sculptures of mystical and
symbolic creatures on the
way. |
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The Gingerbread House is
a six-sided building embossed
on two walls with cakes and
lollipops and all manner of
sweet things. It is the home
of the witch, who crouches
hidden in her kitchen, waiting
for children who are tempted
to enter in search of sweets
and other goodies, in this
house, she brews her cauldron
and casts her spells, while
two of the victims (who may
be Hansel and Gretal) hang
from the ceiling in a cage,
awaiting their fate. |
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The Woodcutter's House, at
the farthest end of the Forest,
has been constructed by laying
tree trunks horizontally one
on top of the other and securing
them together with dowels.
This is the most homely of
the buildings where visitors
can feel safe from the spirites
that hold sway over the forest.
There is also a secret passage
leading from the Woodcutter's
House that takes you to another
part of the forest. |
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