On the first May Bank Holiday of 2013, a lively group took a walk organised by the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty organisation. There were two surprises: (1) although it was a Bank Holiday weekend, the weather was glorious, and (2) even after a dismal winter and spring, the bluebells were out in full glory. The Wye Valley walk is long and varied, and the group walked the Piercefield Estate section near Chepstow. The estate was imaginatively landscaped in the 18th century by local grandee Valentine Morris. The Morris family accumulated great wealth from plantations in the Caribbean. Valentine Morris hired esteemed architect Sir John Soane – famous for his work on the Bank of England – to design the family home by the River Wye. The skeleton of the manor house still exists today. The house was surrounded by woods and gardens — landscaped with fanciful follies, including grottos, artificial caves, statues, and sheltered viewpoints. River Wye tours were very popular in the 18th century, and travellers would come to view the estate and walk the grounds. It is still possible to enjoy this same walk, even though a large section of the estate is now occupied by Chepstow Race Course!

It was predictable. When a group of young Newport Sea Cadets visited the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, the guide had a difficult time coaxing them away from the sculpture that looks like a flotilla of small boats carved out of charred wood, by David Nash. They all climbed in and would have gladly sailed away, had that been possible.

That is the joy of the sculpture trail. The sculptures are meant for our enjoyment. We can climb all over them — as the sea cadets did — touch them, play on them. The Cadets found forest symbols in Keir Smith’s Iron Road — carved railway sleepers — climbed all over The Heart of the Stone by Tim Lees, had great views from the top of Bruce Allan’s Observatory, and were ultimately thrilled by the climb to Place – affectionately known as the Giant’s Chair — by Magdalena Jetelova.

They were accompanied by siblings and parents who also braved the cold Easter wind to join them on the trail. On one of the trails, the cadets found samples of shelters that had been recently constructed from branches. This gave them a good opportunity to observe something that will soon be part of their training.

They have all been inspired to come back. Spring seems to have arrived, so maybe we will see them soon.

Despite the unpredictable weather, there is still much to enjoy in the Forest of Dean during the autumn months. The colours this year are spectacular. When the mist rises between various shades of red, orange, yellow and green, the Forest is at its best.

We like to get feedback on the tours that we provide. One satisfied walker wrote:

“Just wanted to express our appreciation of your excellent leadership on Saturday. You made the day – and the trip – extra special for us and left us with a much better appreciation of the beauty and history of the Forest, as well as providing us with a nicely challenging route.

It was also a pleasure to meet you and to walk with you. For us it also felt like walking with a friend,”

A group of rowers who came to Ross-on-Wye for the Ross Regatta decided to see the river from a different point of view. Although they had rowed from Ross to Symonds Yat, they had never experienced the river from terra firma. So they booked a guide for a walking tour starting at Yat Rock.

After seeing the incomparable views, the group walked down the footpath to the river. They had fun crossing the river by the ferry — for once, someone else was doing the work on the water. They heard tales of the River Wye as the birthplace of British tourism. In contrast, they also saw evidence of the Wye’s industrial past when they visited the ruins of New Weir ironworks. They walked along the disused railway line, saw the old platform and the blocked up tunnel. Unfortunately, with lunch booked at the Saracen’s Head, there was no time to visit the lime kilns. That is on the agenda for next year!

Dean Forest Railway

Hundreds of steam train enthusiasts gathered at Lydney Station on 20 August to greet one of the famous Merchant Navy class locomotives, 35028 Clan Line, built by the Southern Railway. This was part of a tour organized by Steam Dreams, a company running Cathedral Express rail tours. The tour started in London and travelled to Cardiff, but many passengers took the opportunity to alight at Lydney and experience an excursion on the Dean Forest Railway. Many were eager to see the new Whitecroft Station for the first time.

At Parkend, many passengers opted to take a coach tour through the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, guided by two Forest of Dean & Wye Valley tour guides, both rail fans themselves. The tour showed off the lush, green Forest roads, going through towns of Coleford and Cinderford, villages such as Lydbrook, Ruardean, Clearwell, eventually landing up in Tintern – the jewel in the crown of the River Wye. We enjoyed the spectacle of Tintern Abbey, looking glorious in the sunshine. On the way back, the passengers had a chance to see the River Severn, as the tour went by Chepstow, back to the Forest via Tutshill and St. Briavels, where the coaches skirted around St. Briavels Castle. On the way back to Lydney, the coach driver and guide treated the passengers to a debate on whether Bream should be called a village or a town. The jury is still out on that one!

35028 Clan Line at Lydney

Abbey Mill, Tintern

Exhausted after a sumptuous tea at Abbey Mill.
Not everyone is glued to the telly during the Olympics! A group from Wales joined a coach tour to view the delights of the Forest of Dean. Driven by Ben, one of Brent Thomas’fine drivers, and guided by a Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Tour Guide, the coach tour covered many of the Forest’s finest jewels, from Speech House to the Dean Heritage Museum, from the River Wye, to views of the River Severn. While most of us have been unhappy about the rainy summer, we saw the benefits. The lush vegetation gave the Forest a very rich texture. The big surprise was the lack of sheep running around dodging the traffic. Only one dared show his little face to our group. They must have been watching the equestrian events!We landed up in Tintern and enjoyed a splendid tea at Abbey Mill, our hosts. We waddled out, sated, to see the water wheel and the fine views of the Abbey.

Canadian visitors who are looking for something off the beaten track can travel to the River Wye to find a surprising slice of Canadian history.

In a quiet, sleepy churchyard in the village of Whitchurch near Symonds Yat West, there is an unexpected reference to one of Canada’s early founders. John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Canada — not to mention founder of Toronto — is commemorated on a plaque near the family mausoleum of his beloved wife, Elizabeth Gwillim. Elizabeth came from a prominent local land-owning family. They occupied a grand house, Old Court, now a hotel. They were great supporters of St. Dubricius Church.

There is a second, familial Canadian connection here: Elizabeth’s father, Lieutenant Thomas Gwillim, served under General Wolfe at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham! Tragically he died before his daughter was born, so he was never to know that she would occupy a prominent position in the new British colony of Upper Canada!

Photo by David Slater

Any fan of BBC Springwatch will remember their programme about the reclusive Forest of Dean wild boar. It was rare to spot them, but they left tell-tale signs of activity — grass verges on the roadside all dug up, not to mention gardens! They are now becoming somewhat more tame. It is not unusual to see a large sow picnicking near the road with her little piglets. If you experience gridlock on a road now, don’t assume there has been an accident. Drivers are known to stop, whip out their mobile phones and start taking photos! Sometimes the boar families are bold enough to stride across the road and hold up the traffic. And why not? Two words of caution if you run into them while out walking: 1) DO NOT feed them; 2) keep your dog under strict control. They are rarely bothered by humans, but dogs spook them!

Tags: wild boar

Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Tour Guides do their best to deliver high quality tours. We appreciate the feedback that we get. Here is one example,