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Sculpture Trail


(Average user rating4 unrated 3.5/5)

About Sculpture Trail

Since 1984 The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust has raised funds to commission artists to celebrate and help us appreciate and understand the life of the forest. The Trust works in partnership with the Forestry Commission which maintains the sculptures and trail.

The sculptures are inspired by the forest - its trees, wildlife and industrial past. They are mostly constructed from natural material from the Dean - wood, stone and iron. The sculptures are interspersed along the trail through majestic oaks and towering Scots pine trees

A Sculpture Trail leaflet is available containing details of the sculptures for £1 from the Forest of Dean's Coleford office or on site at Forest Connections, Beechenhurst Lodge. 

For further information on the sculptures and the work of the Sculpture Trust please use the link on the righthand side. 

Some of the Sculptures can be accessed with a power assisted wheelchair, please ring the the Forestry Comission, Tel 01594 833057, or e-mail using the link provided for further access information.

 

How to get there:

Sculpture Trail can be started from Beechenhurst Lodge in Forest Of Dean. Coleford is the nearest town or village.

Travelling from Coleford to Cinderford on the B4226, continue by the junction with the B4234 (Parkend to Lydbrook road) driving up the Speech House Road for 500m before turning left into Beechenhurst.

Please don't use our postcode in your Sat Nav! It will take you to Broadwell near Coleford, this is on the B4226 but a few minutes drive away from Beechenhurst.

OS Grid Reference: SO614120
For details of public transport visit http://www.transportdirect.info

What's on in Forest Of Dean

May

  • Canoe & Kayak Sessions
    Tuesday 17 April 2012
    Thursday 19 April 2012
    Tuesday 24 April 2012
    Thursday 26 April 2012
    Tuesday 1 May 2012
    Thursday 3 May 2012
    Tuesday 8 May 2012
    Thursday 10 May 2012
    Tuesday 15 May 2012
    Thursday 17 May 2012
    Tuesday 22 May 2012
    Thursday 24 May 2012
    Tuesday 29 May 2012
    Thursday 31 May 2012
    Tuesday 5 June 2012
    Thursday 7 June 2012

June

  • Canoe & Kayak Sessions
    Tuesday 17 April 2012
    Thursday 19 April 2012
    Tuesday 24 April 2012
    Thursday 26 April 2012
    Tuesday 1 May 2012
    Thursday 3 May 2012
    Tuesday 8 May 2012
    Thursday 10 May 2012
    Tuesday 15 May 2012
    Thursday 17 May 2012
    Tuesday 22 May 2012
    Thursday 24 May 2012
    Tuesday 29 May 2012
    Thursday 31 May 2012
    Tuesday 5 June 2012
    Thursday 7 June 2012

July

  • Nordic Walking
    Tuesday 10 April 2012
    Saturday 19 May 2012
    Saturday 14 July 2012
View all events
'Cathedral' a stained glass window on the Sculpture Trail

Beechenhurst Lodge Facilities.
ToiletsParking ChargeInformationEasy AccessVisitor CentreRefreshmentsForest ShopOther Facilities
Grade of trail:
Stout waterproof footwearModerate
Trail waymarking:
blue
Length of trail:
4.5 miles
Approximate time of trail:
2-3 hours
Open or closed:
open
Click here to find out what else you can do in this forest.

Contact:
Forest Of Dean Recreation Ranger

01594 833057
e-mail: dean@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

User Comments

4 Stars 4 Stars

Why have more signs in the woodland and spoil the effect - why don't you just pop into the visitor centre shop and buy a map/guide (good value) and you will not miss the sculptures.

Anonymous, 19/May/2012
3 Stars 3 Stars

As above, we were impressed by a few of the sculptures but the others we managed to find were pitiful. We ran the route but would have been disappointed to have set aside a few hours and walked it! The woods are lovely and seeing the boar and piglets made up for the tired old sculptures. More natural sculptures/carvings would be better.

Caz Nightingale, 29/Apr/2012
4 Stars 4 Stars

I agree with the previous comments. There are some excellent sculptures - the Big Chair, the Stained Glass Window and the Carved Railway Sleepers (sorry I don't know their proper names), but pretty much everything else is just dross. The latest addition, Hill 33, looks like it cost a fortune, but is very poor indeed.

Dave England, 6/Oct/2011
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The Heart of Stone on the sculpture trail

What's of interest

There are two waymarked shortcuts back to Beechenhurst Lodge should you not wish to walk the whole Sculpture Trail route. Shortcut A is a 2.2mile loop and takes you by the first 6 sculptures. Shortcut B is 3 miles and takes in sculptures 1-14.

What to see now

The most recent addition to the trail is Hill33 by David Cotterrell. This impressive sculpture is made of HESCO Bastion Concertainer units as used by the Army to build shelters and large-scale defence structures in Afghanistan. David's design is inspired by his memory of seeing Mayan temples hidden within the rainforests in Central and South America.

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