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About Us
Beechenhurst, managed by Forestry England, lies in the heart of the Forest of Dean, and is a great place to start your adventure. Discover the Superworm Activity Trail, Sculpture Trail, play area and Go Ape Tree Top Adventure. Don't forget to refuel in the cafe or bring your own food to enjoy in the beautiful picnic area.
- There is easy access onto the Family Cycle Trail from the main Beechenhurst car park. Cyclists are asked to keep to hard stone tracks and not to cycle on the forest's waymarked footpaths.
- The play area at Beechenhurst has a host of wooden play equipment for your kids to enjoy. There is a separate toddler area for our younger visitors.
- The cafe provides a range of wholesome food with new items added to the menu each month. Coach parties should book with the cafe in advance on 01594 824662.
Beechenhurst is also the starting point for the famous Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. Founded in 1986, the sculpture trail is a partnership between Forestry England and the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust. and is a 4.5 mile trail through beautiful ancient forest. The sculptures are all inspired by the forest - its trees, wildlife and industrial past. There are waymarked shortcuts: Shortcut A (first 6 sculptures) is approx 2.2 miles in length and Shortcut B is 3 miles (first 12 sculptures).
In 2021 Beechenhurst hosted an additional temporary arts trail called "Forest to Forest" which featured eight new sculptures celebrating forest wildlife, flora and fauna. This trail has now been decommissioned but some of the pieces remain in the forest and will be incorporated into the main sculpture trail.
The Superworm Activity Trail (in place for 2022), based on the children’s book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, showcases the unsung heroes of the forest; the trail highlights the small but mighty creatures in the story, such as toad, beetle and Wizard Lizard, and their amazing abilities as they make their home in the forest. There are lots of fun activities to complete and the new self-led trail will encourage children to become superheroes of the forest themselves. Families will discover brightly illustrated panels, packed with amazing activities designed to get children thinking about these unsung heroes. The trail should keep the young ones entertained for around an hour leaving plenty of time to find more fun and explore the forest. Special Superworm trail packs are available to buy on site from Beechenhurst Café for £3.50 with additional activities, including stickers, a superhero mask, creature fact cards, at-home activity sheet, pencil and crayon.
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Facilities
Accessibility
- Disabled toilets
Catering
- On-site catering
- On-site light refreshments
- Picnic site
Children
- Baby changing facilities
- Children welcome
Parking
- Parking with charge
Property Facilities
- Dogs Accepted
- Public toilets
Suitability
- School Trips
Target Markets
- Accepts groups
- Coach parties accepted
Opening Times
* Open every day except Christmas Day. The site opens at 8:00am every day and the closing times are as follows:
- November to February - 5:00pm
- March - 6:30pm
- April - 8:00pm
- May to August - 9:00pm
- September - 7:30pm
- October - 6:30pm
For a quieter forest experience, plan your visit for early morning (before 10.00am) or in the evening (after 4.00pm). The forest is usually less busy on week days.
