Would you like to explore the best of the Forest of Dean? This guidebook covers 15 of the best short walks in the area (between 4 and 9km, all under three hours), including the Dean Sculpture Trail, Tidenham Chase and the Devil’s Pulpit, Nagshead Nature Reserve and May Hill.

Why choose this guidebook?

• Easy to moderate walks suitable for almost everyone
• Short climbs but no challenging terrain
• Numbered points which tie OS maps to clear route description
• Facilities, parking and highlights for every route
• Route Summary Table to help you choose your walk

Cicerone’s Short Walks guidebooks contain everything you need to get outdoors and discover the best of an area. The routes are perfect if you’re new to walking or looking for something you can enjoy with the whole family. Let the adventures begin!

Using this guide
Route summary table
Map key
Introduction
Walking in the Forest of Dean
Special things to see
Bases and places to stay
Travel
The walks
Walk 1 Tidenham Chase and the Devil’s Pulpit
Walk 2 The Hudnalls and the Wye
Walk 3 Redbrook and Newland
Walk 4 The Kymin from Wyesham
Walk 5 Near Hearkening Rock and the Buckstone
Walk 6 Brierley and Ruardean Hill
Walk 7 Bixslade and Cannop
Walk 8 The Dean Sculpture Trail
Walk 9 Nagshead Nature Reserve
Walk 10 Crabtree Hill and Woorgreens Lake
Walk 11 Soudley Valley Rural Geology Trail
Walk 12 Blaize Bailey from Soudley Ponds
Walk 13 May Hill
Walk 14 St Anthony’s Well and Welshbury Hill
Walk 15 Newnham and Haie Hill
Useful information

Seasons

Every walk can be enjoyed throughout the year, but the woodland colours in Autumn, from bright yellow through orange to deep red, are exceptional.

Centres

Chepstow, Monmouth, Lydney and Gloucester provide access; Coleford and Cinderford are the main centres within the Forest.

Difficulty

None of the walks should pose difficulties for competent walkers, although the sheer number of woodland paths means that care is needed in places to ensure that the correct route is selected.

Must See

The area features extraordinary rock formations such as Near Hearkening Rock, spectacular viewpoints including May Hill and the Devil’s Pulpit, sections of long-distance routes such as Offa’s Dyke Path and the Wysis Way, fascinating industrial archaeology including blast furnaces and tramways, and wildlife-friendly lakes such as Woorgreens and Cannop Ponds.

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).

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