SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCULPTURE TRAIL AND VISITOR ADVICE CAN BE FOUND AT FORESTRY ENGLAND.
Getting there
The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is located at Forestry England’s Beechenhurst site. The Trail is free of charge and no prior booking is required. Opening times are usually 8am until dusk, but the Trail may be closed in extreme weather conditions. The Trail is closed on Christmas Day.
Forestry England operate a pay-for-parking car park, toilet facilities, a cafe and picnic areas. Beechenhurst is on a direct bus route from Gloucester as well as part of The Robin local bus service route. To plan your visit, go to Forestry England’s Beechenhurst webpage.
Access
The Sculpture Trail contains slopes (some steep), and uneven terrain (loose stone surface paths and narrow unsurfaced paths). This does mean certain areas are unsuitable for many pushchairs and wheelchairs. A number of pedestrian gates will be encountered along the trail.
The Speech House Woodlands car park allows closer access to the sculptures found at the end of the Trail (14 – 18) and these are our most easily accessible works currently.
For visually impaired visitors we recommend downloading our audio descriptions, which describe most of our sculptures, before you begin the Trail as you will find limited signal at the Beechenhurst site.
The majority of our sculptures are found on the ground and can be touched.
Forestry England welcome feedback to continue to improve accessibility. You can get in touch at westengland@forestryengland.uk
Visit Forestry England’s Beechenhurst webpage for further details on parking and the facilities available on site.
Dogs are welcome
Dogs are welcome on the Sculpture Trail. Dog biscuits and water bowls are available at Beechenhurst Cafe. You can find out more information on forest dog walking here
Schools and coach visits
For resources and ideas on planning your school visit, go to the Forest Learning information page. All coach parties (over 20 seats) need to notify Forestry England of their visit – call 0300 067 4800 or email westengland@forestryengland.uk
Visitor Testimonial
“A wonderful day out, we keeping back to see the forest evolve through the seasons. Cathedral, even after all these years, still takes my breath away as the sunshine gleams through it”
