Quintessential Autumn walking in the Forest of Dean
Too often, autumn means lengthy rain, gusting winds and overcast skies. But there are days - maybe not as frequent as we'd like - when the clouds clear and autumn becomes a walker's dream.
Cool, bright days with russet and amber trees, fallen leaves crunching underfoot, the lure of tea and cake in the next village. Where better to experience that quintessential autumn walking than in the Forest of Dean?
The Forest of Dean is a rich walking landscape on the southern England/Wales border of deep forests, rolling farmland and ridges overlooking the Wye Gorge and the Severn Vale. Mike Dunn’s guidebook for Cicerone covers 25 walks in the historic forest, from shorter, gentle circuits to longer walks along the three long-distance paths – the Offas Dyke Path, the Gloucestershire Way and the Wysis Way - that pass through this wooded land.
These walks are excellent at any time of year, the forest providing a natural ebb and flow of new growth in spring, to turning leaves in autumn, that give the walker constantly evolving sights on trails. The guidebook provides advice on how to make the best of walking in the Forest, as well as information on getting to and around the area, geology, wildlife and the long history of the Forest of Dean.
So watch the weather forecast, keep an eye out for a long weekend, and experience autumn properly in the Forest of Dean.
