Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

Last updated

Cathedral by Kevin Atherton, one of the most iconic of the sculptures on the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. Stained Glass Panel, Sculpture Trail, Forest of Dean - geograph.org.uk - 46816.jpg
Cathedral by Kevin Atherton, one of the most iconic of the sculptures on the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.
Iron Road by Keir Smith, carved from old railway sleepers and located on a disused railway embankment. Forest of Dean Geograph-973129-by-Reiner-Tegtmeyer.jpg
Iron Road by Keir Smith, carved from old railway sleepers and located on a disused railway embankment.
Dead Wood / Bois Mort by Carole Drake opened in 1995. The sunken steel plates suggest nameless graves in forests visited by war. Dead Wood .jpg
Dead Wood / Bois Mort by Carole Drake opened in 1995. The sunken steel plates suggest nameless graves in forests visited by war.

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 (4.3 miles); shorter routes of 3.5 and 4.8 kilometers (2.2 and 3.0 miles) visit a selection of the sculptures. [1] [2]

An estimated 300,000 people visit each year. [3]

Commissioning commenced in 1986, originally in partnership with Arnolfini, [4] 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. [5] Additional commissions include Neville Gabie’s Raw, [6] 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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucestershire</span> County of England

Gloucestershire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire to the east, Wiltshire to the south, Bristol and Somerset to the south-west, and the Welsh county of Monmouthshire to the west. The city of Gloucester is the largest settlement and the county town.

The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is managed by a board of trustees elected from its membership who provide overall direction for the development of the trust and there are advisory committees. The work of the trust is carried out through staff and volunteers.

The Afan Forest Park is a 48-square-mile (120 km2) forest park in Britain. It is set in the Afan Valley in Neath Port Talbot, in south Wales. It is well known for its mountain biking and hiking or hillwalking trails. It is situated seven miles (11 km) from Junction 40 of the M4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannop Ponds</span>

Cannop Ponds are two large ponds, just north of Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The ponds, and surrounding area, are a popular tourist destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grizedale Forest</span> Natural area in North West England

Grizedale Forest is a 24.47 km2 area of woodland in the Lake District of North West England, located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead. It is made up of a number of hills, small tarns and the settlements of Grizedale and Satterthwaite. It is owned and managed by Forestry England and is a popular tourist destination with waymarked footpaths, mountain biking, an aerial assault course, a 16-bed hostel, and a visitor centre with a children's playground, education centre, café and shop. The car-parking of Grizedale Forest Visitors Centre is situated on the site of the former Grizedale Hall where its remains can be still seen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucestershire College</span> College of further and higher education school in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

Gloucestershire College is a college of further and higher education in the county of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowleaze Wood</span> Woodland in the Chiltern Hills of South East England

Cowleaze Wood is a 70-acre (28 ha) woodland in the Chiltern Hills, a chalk ridge in South East England. The wood is in the civil parish of Lewknor, in Oxfordshire, about 1+1⁄4 miles (2 km) southeast of the village. It is next to the county boundary with Buckinghamshire, and adjoins Lydall's Wood on the Buckinghamshire side of the boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dymock Woods SSSI</span> Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England

Dymock Woods is a 53-hectare (130-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1990. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speech House Oaks</span>

Speech House Oaks is a 16.26-hectare (40.2-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lippets Grove</span>

Lippets Grove is a 5-hectare (12-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire. The site was leased from the Forestry Commission in 1987 and is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woorgreens Lake and Marsh</span>

Woorgreens Lake and Marsh is a 9-hectare (22-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foxes Bridge Bog</span>

Foxes Bridge Bog is a 5.3-hectare (13-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire. The site is owned by the Forestry Commission and is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in partnership with the Forestry Commission. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laymoor Quag</span>

Laymoor Quag is a 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) nature reserve within the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen and Vera's Fields</span> Nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England

Gwen and Vera's Fields is a 0.28-hectare (0.69-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spion Kop Quarry</span> Nature reserve in Gloucestershire

Spion Kop Quarry is a 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimberry Quarries</span> Nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England

Wimberry Quarries is a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plump Hill Dolomite Quarry</span>

Plump Hill Dolomite Quarry is a 4.5-hectare (11-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgehills Bog</span> Nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England

Edgehills Bog is a 0.66-hectare (1.6-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wigpool</span>

Wigpool is a 7.5-hectare (19-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean, England.

References

  1. ↑ "The Forest of Dean Sculpture trail". Forestry England. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail". Woodlands.co.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail". Gloucester Rocks. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Eyres, Patrick (2017). Sculpture and the Garden. Routledge. ISBN   9781351549578.
  5. ↑ "Cathedral". Frest of Dean Sculpture Trust. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Kilns and Casts". Neville Gabie. Retrieved 30 October 2019.

51°48′23.5″N2°33′9″W / 51.806528°N 2.55250°W / 51.806528; -2.55250

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.