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,”

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

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

Touring the Severn and Wye

The wayward weather behaved for the lucky passengers on a Bluebird Coach tour starting from Chepstow Castle. We went around the town and towards the Forest of Dean via Wintours’ Leap and St Briavels. We turned to go past Dark Hill, viewing iron works, as well as a monument dedicated to Forest heroes — the Mushets –  metallurgists who worked on the process for self-hardening steel. We then went on to Parkend before heading to Speech House. This gave us a chance to glimpse the newly restored stained glass window, Cathedral, which is a highlight of the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. We then went past Beechenhurst, up the Cannop Valley and over the Monmouth-Gloucester Road A4136 to Lydbrook, before following the River Wye to Kerne Bridge. With Goodrich Castle on the skyline we headed to the A40. We were lucky enough to view fallow deer grazing at Wyastone Leys.  Lunch in Monmouth.  We drove up the High Street before 250 scouts and guides paraded for St George’s Day. Back in the Forest we headed to Forest of Dean Railway at Norchard where we had an enjoyable trip both to Parkend and Lydney.

We returned to Chepstow along the Roman road, the A48.  Throughout the day there were fabulous views of the Severn & Wye Valleys. Many of the spring wild flowers were out. We had

more than a hint of the bluebells that will be at their best in May.

Tags: Coach and Minibus tours

Wordsworth Viewpoint above the Wye Valley

A group of guests on a walk led by a Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Tour Guide.

The guests, all from the Lindors were able to spot the Lindors roof and distinctive chimneys from the viewpoint.

Wordsworth wrote his famous lines describing the Wye Valley after his second visit in 1798. He was accompanied on this visit by his sister Dorothy.

Tags: Guided Walks

Cleddon Falls, January 2012

Lindors Guests led by a Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Tour Guide took advantage of un-seasonably warm weather to visit Llandogo, Cleddon and Trellech Beacon. They were rewarded by the sound and sight of a good flow of water at Cleddon Falls following the recent rainfall.

The group made the descent to Llandogo on the Jubilee Path – so named in 1935 when it was renovated to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George VI. Further renovation was carried out more recently by the Wye Valley A.O.N.B. as part of the highly successful Overlooking The Wye project.

Lindors guests

Thirteen hardy walkers from the Peak District visited the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley for their annual walking weekend holiday. Even though they are very experienced walkers, they opted to have a Forest of Dean & Wye Valley tour guide take them around the Beechenhurst Trail. The trail covers many of the highlights of the heart of the Forest: Speech House, the Cyril Hart Arboretum, Beechenhurst, parts of the Sculpture Trail, Cannop Ponds, the Miners’ Memorial just to name a few. Having a guide freed them from fumbling with maps, negotiating trail markings and poring through guide books to interpret what they were seeing. Thirteen was lucky: they brought glorious weather with them!

Tags: Guided Walks

View from the Coach

The drive from Monmouth to Hereford was never as enjoyable as when the members of the Llandybie Male Voice Choir (Cor Meibion Llandybie) serenaded us. The choir visited the area to give a concert at Hoarwithy. While in the neighbourhood, the members and wives took a coach trip through the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. Starting from Holme Lacy, they toured along the Wye, past Goodrich, over Kerne Bridge, through Lydbrook to the heart of the Forest. Although we did not meet any wild boar, the ubiquitous sheep were spotted lounging in the sun by Speech House.

We stopped off at Tintern Abbey for ice cream and culture, then made our way through windy, twisty roads to our main lunch stop, the market town of Monmouth. Even though it was October, it was too hot to do a walking tour, so we had to enjoy the views of the Shire Hall from the coach.

The ride back along the old Hereford Road featured the mini-concert. Clearly, they had heard enough from the guide!