Well off the tourist trail
Though well off the tourist trail, the Forest of Dean offers visitors surprises around every corner, from the scenic wonders of Symonds Yat to the fascinating remnants of its industrial past.

Off the beaten track

The Royal Forest of Dean must be one of the UK’s most unassuming tourist areas, so much so that many people are not sure where it is – and the Cotswolds and Welsh Valleys that border it get much more attention. That’s a pity, because the forest has both a rural and industrial heritage dating back to the Iron Age, with some of the best remaining broadleaved woodlands in our islands. It also has areas of great beauty and, as a bonus, is less busy than most holiday destinations.

The forest covers some 27,000 acres of woodland and green rolling countryside, mainly in Gloucestershire. The boundaries are the valley of the mighty Severn to the east and the Wye to the west, from Ross-on-Wye down the English-Welsh border to Chepstow, where the two rivers meet near the Severn Bridge. This forms the point of a triangle that is topped in the north by the hills and valleys of Herefordshire. The little towns of Cinderford, Coleford and Lydney are in the heart of that triangle. Newent is the biggest town in the north east of the forest.

An important industrial history
For such a rural area, the forest has an important industrial history, and iron ore and coal have been mined in these oak woods for more than 3000 years. Charcoal has also been produced deep in the glades. There are some special times to visit the forest. In the spring, wild daffodils abound, especially in the northern areas around Newent. The M50 bisects some of the best areas, including Dymock woods, which was the home of several poets just before the First World War. Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brook, John Drinkwater, Wilfred Gibson, Edward Thomas, and Robert Frost gained inspiration from the landscapes and the half-timbered houses before heading off to their destiny, often in the trenches of France.