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. [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.
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 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.
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.
Gloucestershire College is a college of further and higher education in the county of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.
Dyfnant Forest is a remote forest in northeastern-central Powys, Wales.
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.
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).
Poor's Allotment is a 28.57-hectare (70.6-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1954. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Speech House Oaks is a 16.26-hectare (40.2-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1972.
Woorgreens Lake and Marsh is a 9-hectare (22-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire.
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).
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).
Spion Kop Quarry is a 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.
Wimberry Quarries is a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.
Plump Hill Dolomite Quarry is a 4.5-hectare (11-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.
Edgehills Bog is a 0.66-hectare (1.6-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean.
Wigpool is a 7.5-hectare (19-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Dean, England.
Miss Grace's Lane, near Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, is a natural cave system, the entrance to which was excavated between 1994 and 1997 by members of the Royal Forest of Dean Caving Club (RFDCC).
Puck's Glen is a river-formed ravine on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a popular scenic walking trail beside the Eas Mòr stream. In 2020 the glen and adjoining trails were closed temporarily due to COVID-19 restrictions, issues of stability of the gorge, and felling of trees infected by larch disease.
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