A fantastic way of exploring the area
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ather than sticking to the same well-trodden path, how about dosing up on some culture next time you go down to the woods? Head to the Forest Of Dean’s Sculpture Trail, and you’ll come across all sorts of quirky creations among the frosty greenery.
Like Peter Randall-Page’s stone-carved acorn cup and pine cone, for example, or the deer created solely from steel rods and wire by Sophie Ryder –or even a giant chair made out of tree trunks,created by Magdalena Jetelova, which sits above the Cannop Valley.
But that’s only for starters. In all, there are 20 other permanent installations on this rather cultural woodland walk, each of which has been inspired by its unique forest setting. And if you don’t quite have time to visit them all in one go, you could always come back – the trail is open every day of the year from dawn to dusk.
Masterpieces aside, there’s some real wildlife to be seen in these parts, too. Deer make regular appearances, and you might spot the occasional wild boar snuffling about in the bushes. Wonder what they make of these strange sculptural creatures…