Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

This delightful walking trail takes you to a unique collection of high-quality, contemporary sculptures, within the Forest of Dean. Highlights include include Kevin Atherton's 15 foot by 10 foot stained glassed window 'Cathedral' which hangs high in the canopy over the heads of walkers and Neville Gabie's 'Raw', a giant cube assembled from the entire mass of an oak tree.
You can park at the visitor centre car park off Speech House Road to start your walk. From here you can pick up the marked trails to the artwork. The trail is free to access and the visitor centre also includes a picnic site and a nice childrens' playground.
Just to the east of the site you will find the interesting Woorgreens Lake and Marsh Nature Reserve. Here you'll find a pretty lake with lots of wildlife to look out for. This includes several species of dragonfly and birds such as spotted redshank, greenshank, green sandpiper and curlew. It's well worth a small detour from the main trail. Also nearby is the Speech House Oaks. The site is a linear band of open woodland of oak on either side of the Speech House Road near the trail. There is a variety of interesting flora here and a wonderful mosaic of different types of tree. Look out for the redstart bird in this area.
To extend your walking in the area you can pick up the lovely Forest of Dean Family Route which runs just past the trail. The circular cycling and walking trail is a great way to explore the area on foot or by bike. Following it south for just over a mile, will take you to the delightful Cannop Ponds and the RSPB's wildlife rich Nagshead Nature Reserve.
You could also try the Coleford Milkwall and Parkend railway path. The trail follows the disused Coleford Milkwall and Parkend railway from Coleford to Parkend. It is suitable for both cyclists and walkers.
Another good option is the nearby Puzzlewood. There's a maze of footpaths to follow around this 14 acre site with interesting geological features, caves and ancient trees.
The long distance Gloucestershire Way also runs past the site and will take you on a tour of this beautiful county.

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Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

There's an on site cafe where you can enjoy some refreshment after your exercise. You could also head to the nearby Speech House Hotel and enjoy afternoon tea in the 17th century former hunting lodge.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just south of the trail there's the Speech House Walk to try. The circular trail takes you around the Speech House Inclosure, visiting the picturesque Speech House Lake and the lovely Cyril Hart Arboretum.

Forest of Dean Family Route, Gloucestershire Way, Coleford Milkwall and Parkend railway path, Cannop Ponds, Speech House Walk, Nagshead Nature Reserve

GPX File

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)