Walking in the Forest of Dean – The Beechenhurst Trail
Whether you’re a rambling rookie or a walking wonder, the Forest of Dean is home to miles of routes for you to explore. Leaving the car behind and heading out on foot is a fantastic way to connect with nature. Discover the hidden beauty of this area, getting up close to the flora and fauna. You might be lucky enough to spot a deer or wild boar along the way! For a gentle start, there are a lot of short circular routes that you can follow. A highlight of these is a stroll around the Sculpture Trail.
I chose to follow a longer route, the Beechenhurst Trail. Covering 13 kilometres (8 miles) of fairly easy-going tracks, with a couple of steeper sections along the way. Your efforts are rewarded with wonderful forest views and serene lakeside settings. The route takes you from Speech House Woods, down to popular Cannop Ponds and around Barnhill Quarry. From here the trail heads north and back through the forest to Beechenhurst. There are waymarkers along the route, however, you need to keep a keen eye out for signs. It’s a good idea to take a map with you as it is easy to go off the trail without noticing.
You can find a map and route description here.
Starting at Speech House Woodlands, there is free parking available (what3words: ///years.iron.riverboat) just off the B4226. Following the trail clockwise from here you will reach Beechenhurst Lodge at the end, perfect for a well-deserved cup of tea, sausage roll and slice of cake.
You begin the trail crossing the road and heading into Cyril Hart Arboretum, a great introduction to this area. Your surroundings are a variety of trees and as you leave the arboretum heading west, you pass Dean Hall School on your right. From here you are immersed in the forest with tall pines and snippets of tree covered hills beyond. Winding your way through the trees, keep your eye out for waymarkers along the way and listen out for wildlife rustling in the bushes as you pass by. We weren’t lucky enough to spot any animals but were amazed at how many beetles lingered along the path!
It took us just over an hour to reach the picnic area at Cannop Ponds, about 4km (2.5 miles) from our starting point. This is the perfect spot for a break with picnic benches, a coffee cart and lakeside views. We took a seat to eat some trail mix and make friends with the ducks and swans. Taking a break here turned out to be a good idea as from here you head up towards Barnhill Quarry. The trail route says “the path then climbs more steeply” and it isn’t lying! This is the steepest section and the path was quite overgrown when we visited. It’s only about a 100m ascent but it’s over quite a short distance. At the top you can see across the quarry and have a quick breather.
We did lose the path after passing the quarry and ended up having to follow the road for a short distance. We soon picked it up again and headed back into the forest. This section of the walk was my favourite. Surrounded by greenery it’s such a peaceful place to be, we hardly saw any other ramblers! You really feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere and while usually when I’m on a big walk I tend to be on a mission to get to the end, it’s worth taking the time to appreciate your surroundings. It’s not often you’re far away from the sounds of everyday life. Here you can drift off, paying attention to your breathing, the whisper of wind and the smells of nature.
Once you’ve taken a few deep breaths, you’re ready to carry on back to Beechenhurst Lodge. Along the way you’ll meet some mountain bikers following the forest tracks. Make sure you keep an eye out for anybody coming your way! You know you’re almost at the end when you cross a little bridge and some stepping stones. There’s then just one last push up the hill into the Sculpture Park. You’ll see ‘Meander’ at the top on the right-hand side. This sculpture is made from bent oak to symbolise the path of the Rivers Wye and Severn.
We went down to the lodge for a quick lunch and it was very busy but managed to snag a picnic bench. There was a good selection of cakes and sandwiches and I managed to grab a vegan sausage roll. From the Speech House Woodlands car park to Beechenhurst Lodge we did a total of just under 11km (7 miles). To get back to the car it would be slightly more but we decided to explore the Sculpture Park. To see all of the sculptures it’s just under 8km (5 miles); keep an eye out for a future blog to follow along!