Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Forest of Dean (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Dean Heritage Centre, Darkhill Ironworks, and Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. Also, be sure to include Soudley Ponds in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Forest of Dean (England).
Table of Contents
Dean Heritage Centre
Museum in Soudley, England. The Dean Heritage Centre is located in the valley of Soudley, Gloucestershire, England in the Forest of Dean and exists to record and preserve the social and industrial history of the area and its people. The centre comprises the museum itself, a millpond and waterwheel, forester's cottage with garden and animals, art and craft exhibitions and workshops, and trails around the surrounding woodland. In addition, there are picnic tables, barbecue hearths, an adventure playground, a gift shop selling local produce and the Heritage Kitchen, a restaurant providing home-made food.[1]
Address: Camp Mill, Soudley, GL14 2UB Soudley
Darkhill Ironworks
Historical landmark in Ellwood, Gloucestershire, England. Darkhill Ironworks, and the neighbouring Titanic Steelworks, are internationally important industrial remains associated with the development of the iron and steel industries. Both are scheduled monuments. They are located on the edge of a small hamlet called Gorsty Knoll, just to the west of Parkend, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Historically, Darkhill was sometimes written Dark Hill.[2]
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
Hiking area in England. The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is a point of interest in the Forest of Dean in the county of Gloucestershire, England.
The Sculpture Trail links several different site-specific sculptures commissioned for the forest. It is open from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Admission is free, although there is a charge for car parking. There are currently 16 sculptures, made from various materials. A further 12 are no longer visible, or have been decommissioned due to safety reasons, and are being allowed to degrade naturally. The complete trail is 7 kilometers (4.5 mi); shorter routes of 3.5 kilometers (2.2 mi) and 4.8 kilometers (3 mi) visit a selection of the sculptures.
An estimated 300,000 people visit each year.
Commissioning commenced in 1986, originally in partnership with Arnolfini, Bristol's flagship contemporary art gallery, and following the establishment of the Trail has resulted in the presentation of more than 20 permanent sculptures, almost all of international significance, alongside temporary residencies and public events. The early sculptures were commissioned to be site-responsive and to interpret the forest, and the Trust adheres to this very particular strategy, which is what makes the Dean very different from other Sculpture Trails in the country.
Sculptures include Kevin Atherton's 15 foot by 10 foot stained glassed window Cathedral which hangs high in the canopy over the heads of walkers. Additional commissions include Neville Gabie’s Raw, a giant cube assembled from the entire mass of an oak tree, and acclaimed works by David Nash, Peter Randall-Page, Cornelia Parker and Annie Cattrell at crucial early stages in their careers.
The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust continues to raise funds to commission additional works. The Trust (FODST) manages the Sculpture Trail, located at Beechenhurst, near Coleford in Gloucestershire, in partnership with the Forestry Commission in the Forest of Dean. The Trust is a registered charity and has a long record of commissioning sculpture and related temporary projects that are specific to the forest environment.[3]
Soudley Ponds
National forest in Soudley, England. Lying close to the village of Soudley in the Forest of Dean, west Gloucestershire, Soudley Ponds, also known as Sutton Ponds, comprise four linked man-made ponds lined in succession through the narrow Sutton Valley, and surrounded by stands of tall Douglas Fir. It is a 7.04-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1984.
The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).[4]
Speech House Oaks
Speech House Oaks is a 16.26-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1972.
The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).[5]
Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel
Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel is a 5.66-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1998. This site comprises two separate locations. One is Buckshraft Mine which is near the village of Ruspidge. The other location is Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel which is near the village of Soudley.[6]
Cinderford Ironworks
Historical landmark in Cinderford, England. Cinderford Ironworks, also known as Cinderford Furnace, was a coke-fired blast furnace, built in 1795, just west of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.[7]