8th August
There’s something really odd about The Forest of Dean! Set on a plateau between the Severn and the Wye, it’s cut off from the rest of the world. There have been some weird goings on here over the years. There’s the odd case of the Circus bears and the French showmen (be careful visiting Ruardean), the strange story of Old Ellen of Cinderford and the Ring of Silvianus at Lydney (well, originally). So the Speech House seems to have been under-employed in maintaining law and order around here. It’s now a high class hotel and today we park behind, in the Forestry Commission car park.
As far as this walk is concerned, there’s really not much to record…a pleasant walk in the woods on another hot August day. A couple of summer showers blow through during the walk but you wouldn’t know. We’re hidden away, deep in the Forest. Occasionally we catch fleeting glimpses of Fallow Deer ghosting amongst the shadows, no sign of the famous wild boar…but plenty of evidence of their rooting.
A beautiful, 9.4 mile meander through the heart of the Forest…and we hardly saw a soul all day…and certainly no bears, herbalists or lost rings.
Speech House picture gallery (more pictures on Flickr):
Distance: 9.4 miles ; Difficulty: Easy
Coordinates for Satnav: GL16 7EL
Speech House walk profile
Where Angells Tread! 