Plans for this year’s unique, watery extravaganza, the Wye Valley River Festival are well underway, and this year will feature The Caravan of Myth and Legends – Babbling Books. This will be revealed at Puzzlewood on February 15th, two days after the tourist attraction opens for the season on February 13th.

Coleford writer, performer and storyteller Roger Drury will be creating tales from the deep at this magical ancient woodland site every day except Wednesday, from 12noon to 2pm, from February 15th to 19th. Families can join him to share stories about the Wye and its tributaries and let their imaginations run wild.

Roger saids: “Once a place under the seas, Puzzlewood has a little known history of its salty side. As we prepare for this year’s Wye Valley River Festival, people are all wondering what might be coming up and down the rivers, spluttering and splashing.”

Families will also get their first chance to explore the caravan, stuffed full of poetry, stories and tales of rivers from around the world, which will be added to at creative sessions up and down the Wye Valley in the lead up to the festival.

There are more flights of festival fantasy at Puzzlewood, too, on February 18. From 11am to 3pm there will be creative sessions making Origami cranes to help populate Kathy Hinde’s arts installation One Thousand Birds which will be on show at Tintern Old Station Signal Box as part of the Wye Valley River Festival from May 6th to 15th.

The atmospheric enchantment of Puzzlewood, popular as a location for TV series and films including Dr Who, Merlin and most recently Star Wars:The Force Awakens, makes it an appropriate place to launch The Caravan of Myth and Legends – Babbling Books, which the visitor attraction is also sponsoring. Puzzlewood manager Helen O’Kane says: “The caravan is a perfect match for a place which has been called the most magical on earth.”

Visit the website www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk for more information about the Wye Valley River Festival; follow on Twitter: @wyebeauty #wyevalleyriverfestival or like the festival on facebook: www.facebook.com/ wyevalleyriverfestival.