Puzzlewood 'magical' site for Star Wars filming

An "extremely important sequence" in the new Star Wars film was shot at Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean

A key scene in the latest Star Wars blockbuster was filmed in a woodland in Gloucestershire, the president of Lucasfilm has said.

Kathleen Kennedy said Puzzlewood, in the Forest of Dean, was used for "an extremely important sequence" in the Force Awakens.

Little is known about the scene, which apparently features villain Kylo Ren and his new lightsaber.

But Kennedy said she would "return in a second" for future Star Wars films.

The award-winning producer said the site was "the most magical forest on the face of the earth".

"It was pretty amazing when we found it, because Puzzlewood defined everything that we were looking for, and it was extraordinary when we got there," she told the BBC.

Speaking about a possible return, she said: "We'll just have to figure out the new scene."

A trailer has been launched to highlight locations in the area which have been used in small and big screen productions

The forest has appeared in a number of high-profile film and TV productions, including Doctor Who and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

A new trailer highlighting locations in the area which have been used for filming has been released by Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism.

Director Mark Terry-Lush said "stunning scenery" attracted film-makers to the area's "natural stage".

Other productions filmed there recently include TV shows Merlin and Atlantis and movies such as The Huntsman and Jack the Giant Slayer.