The Quest for a Hidden Village

My novel, Another Life, is centred on a quest by the main protagonist, Oliver, to find a woman who waved to him from a window of a village cottage thirty years ago. Oliver begins with no motive, other than to understand a moment from his past when he glimpsed the prospect of happiness in an idyllic Cotswold location. In contrast, his present-day life has been filled with disappointments and tragedy, for which he blames himself, despite not being responsible.

His quest begins in innocence but all is not as it seems. The village does not appear on maps; the people he encounters in the surrounding area deny its existence. Yet they know of the woman, recognisable from her distinctive tattoo, who may be linked with the Green Man of folklore and local mysteries. The tension mounts as Oliver discovers clues suggesting that his visit is expected.

It was thirty years ago that I discovered this village while following a similar journey to Oliver’s. It is perhaps an echo of the story that I have tried to identify the exact location of the cottage using Google Street View, without success, although of course,  I know the name of the village and still possess this single photograph of another, neighbouring,  cottage (the hedging must have been removed, as I cannot find this one online either).

So, can anyone identify the village? Clues can be found in Another Life, in the sections describing Oliver’s original and return journeys.

Another Life is published by Burton Mayers Books and is available from independent booksellers and online retailers.