Foresters' Forest

Celebrating the Heritage of the Forest of Dean

Foresters’ Forest was a National Lottery Heritage Fund Landscape Partnership programme, made up of 32 local organisations and community groups working together to explore and protect the rich natural, built, and cultural heritage of the Forest of Dean.

Running until March 2022, the project helped shine a light on the stories, landscapes and traditions that make the Forest so unique. Through an incredible variety of community-led projects, the programme helped locals and visitors alike to discover more about the people, places and history that shaped this special part of the country.

Although the project has now officially ended, many of its resources and legacies live on, and you can still explore them through a series of engaging heritage walking routes and digital apps developed during the programme.

Explore the Forest Through These Trails & Apps:

Hidden Heritage of the Dean App – Follow a 9-mile trail around the Family Cycle Trail route to uncover hidden stories. Download from Google Play Store or Apple iStore

Coleford’s Hidden Heritage App – A 7-mile route exploring the town’s rich industrial and community history of the iconic market town of Coleford. Download from Google Play Store or Apple iStore

Cinderford’s Hidden Heritage App – Discover 12 miles of walking routes and stories from Cinderford and surrounding areas. Download from Google Play Store or Apple iStore

Geo Heritage of the Dean App – Explore 10 fascinating walks that showcase the geology, coal and iron mining heritage of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Introducing us to the rocks beneath the Forest and exploring ‘deep time’. Download from Google Play Store or Apple iStore

Bream Heritage Walk – A downloadable 6-mile trail, also available as a printed leaflet.

Walking with Wheels – Accessible walking routes for Tramper mobility scooters, starting from The Speech House Hotel and Forest Holidays near Symonds Yat.

To learn more about the impact and legacy of Foresters’ Forest, and to download the trails or apps, please visit their website.

Our Forest, our community, Foresters’ Forest.