Speech House Walk
This walk explores the woodland and lakes surrounding the Speech House Hotel in the Forest of Dean.
It's a pleasant area for a walk with a public car park and lots of tranquil trails to follow around the Speech House Woodland Inclosure. On the way you'll also pass the pretty Speech House Lake, Woorgreens Lake, Spruce Ride and the attractive Cyril Hart Arboretum. The Spruce Ride section takes place on a nice wide track that is also suitable for cyclists.
There's also the Speech House Hotel where you could stop off for afternoon tea in the Orangery. The hotel is of some historical significance being housed in a former 17th-century hunting lodge.
It's easy to extend the walk by picking up the popular Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. The start point for the walk at the visitor centre is also located just off Speech House Road.
Postcode
GL16 7EL - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsSpeech House Walk Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Speech House Walk Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Speech House Walk OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Speech House Walk Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The lovely Cannop Ponds lie just over a mile to the south west. The tranquil beauty spot is a fine place to extend your walk if you have time. Right next to the ponds there's also the Nagshead Nature Reserve to explore. The RSPB reserve includes a Visitor centre, viewing hides, two waymarked trails, a picnic area and lots of wildlife.
To the south there's the New Fancy Viewpoint. Set on the site of the old coal mine the viewpoint is a fine place to watch birds of prey soaring through the skies above. There's also the 'Roll of Honour' sculpture and the Geomap - a map you can walk on showing the underlying geology of the forest. A car park and picnic area add to the attraction.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Forest of Dean Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Autumn colours reflected in Speech House Lake.
This pond is on the edge of the Beechenhurst Inclosure.Not very far from Speech House.
Coal tit feeding on seed in the arboretum. Several food stops are provided in the Cyril Hart Arboretum. This is alongside the trail for the visually impaired. It was attracting coal tits and nuthatches. A few patches of bluebells were putting on a final show but were past their best.
Spruce Ride, Forest of Dean
Entrance to Cyril Hart Arboretum, Forest of Dean. On the Speech House to Parkend Road is this alternative entrance to the arboretum. Just through the gate on the left is a glade of young acers.
Monkey puzzle tree. This Monkey Puzzle tree or Chile Pine (Araucana araucana) was planted in the Cyril Hart Arboretum in 1920. It is part of the numbered and labelled trail for the visually impaired visitor. The Cyril Hart Arboretum is on the Southern side of the main Cinderford to Coleford road, immediately before the Speech House - almost at the very centre of the Forest.
Speech House Woodland and parking area. The path to the left leads back to Beechenhurst Lodge.The track to the right leads to a small parking area.
Worgreen Lake. Small groups of Canada Geese, like this one, can be seen on Worgreen Lake - also known as Woorgreens Lake, which is just north of the main B4226 road that connects Cinderford to Coleford. Worgreen, in days gone by, was an open cast coal mine and the lake is what was left when mining operations finally finished. It is now the naturalised habitat of lots of fish, birds and insects.