{"id":204,"date":"2022-05-31T13:28:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T13:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triskelepublishing.com\/weirdstonewalk\/?page_id=204"},"modified":"2022-07-17T13:50:19","modified_gmt":"2022-07-17T13:50:19","slug":"the-wizard","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/triskelepublishing.com\/weirdstonewalk\/the-wizard\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wizard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Approximate Location<\/strong>
OS Grid Reference: SJ 8590 7730
Latitude: 53.17.33N Longitude: 2.12.46W<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitting on the roadside of the Macclesfield Road on Alderley Edge is The Wizard – a former public house described by Alan Garner in Weirdstone<\/em>, Chapter 2: The Edge<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Its white walls and stone roof had nestled into the woods for centuries, isolated, with no other house in sight : a village inn, without a village… It was named The Wizard, and above the door was a fixed painted sign which held the children’s attention. The painting showed a man dressed like a monk, with long white hair and beard : behind him a figure in old-fashioned peasant garb struggled with the reins of a white horse which was rearing on its hind legs. In the background were trees.””<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garner, A., 1960 (1989 edition), The Weirdstone of Brisingamen<\/em>. William Collins \/ Lions. London. p20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A version of the pub sign now resides at Alan Garner’s home – Toad Hall at Blackden<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Version of the inn sign from The Wizard at the Blackden Trust (Credit: James Wright)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was the name of the pub, and its curious sign, which first pricked up Coilin and Susan’s interest in The Legend of Alderley<\/a><\/em>. Soon after seeing the pub, they encountered the carving at the Wizard’s Well<\/a> and became determined to find out more from Gowther.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pub has been owned by the National Trust<\/a> since 1948 but closed for business in February 2020 when the last tenant retired. A conservation project on the building, and adjacent tearoom, took place in 2021-22 but it currently remains to be seen what the future of the structure will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Locations<\/a><\/blockquote>