Explore the Forest of Dean

The Royal Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean was designated a National Park in 1938.It includes The Wye Valley as an area of outstanding natural beauty and the River Severn which is world famous for its tidal bore. It is one of England’s few remaining ancient forests covering 27,000 acres of woodland with an estimated 20 million trees. This woodland brings a blaze of colour in the autumn and vivid colours of spring flowers, especially daffodils and bluebells. It is also home to abundant wildlife, including peregrines, buzzards, deer and wild boar.

The area has a rich and varied heritage, extending back to Roman Times and well before. It was first colonised by Palaeolithic man. Visitors can see iron mines, coalmines and many other Forest Heritage sites including Lydney Harbour which exported thousands of tons of wood, coal and iron.

The ultimate is to experience is the ever changing forest with its woodland walks and adventure activities. There is a huge range of opportunities for ornithologists, photographers, cyclists (along the 258 miles of designated walking and cycle tracks) walkers and artists.

Local Activities

Walks, cycling, adventure and leisure are on our doorstep in the Forest of Dean. With 27,000 acres of ancient woodland to walk or cycle around, hundreds of miles of kilometres of off-road cycling, trails perfect for a walking holiday, plus one of the country's most unspoilt rivers, all set within spectacular scenery, the Forest of Dean is the perfect adventure playground.

With the River Wye, this area is renowned for its climbing, abseiling, canoeing and kayaking activities. The Forest itself lies on top of a complex network of caves and caverns, making underground exploration a unique experience, while overground there is quad-biking, off-road driving and ropes courses.

Whatever your interest may be you will find it in the Forest of Dean. Click here for more information.

• Water: Canoeing, kayaking and diving
• Rock: Climbing, abseiling, caving and mine exploration
• Earth: Walking (click here for further information), horse riding
• Leisure: Fishing and golf
• Wheels: Off-road driving, quad biking, cycling and mountain boarding
• Adrenalin: High ropes adventure course, Go Ape, archery, clay shooting, paintballing and sphering

Dog Friendly Hotel

We are dog friendly with rooms in the courtyard subject to availability, and dogs are welcome in the Orangery and garden but not in the Verderer's Court restaurant.

With so many opportunities to walk in the Forest of Dean, if you have a dog, it would be a shame not to bring your 'best four legged friend' along.

The Speech House Hotel is proud to say that it is a dog friendly hotel, and that guests have a great opportunity to go on holiday with their dogs, and stay in a pet friendly bed & breakfast hotel.