20 Attractions to Explore Near Dean Heritage Centre

Mallards Pike Lake is in the center of the Forest of Dean and is a beautiful lake surrounded by woodland. This is an ideal starting point for a walk or bike ride. This is the main location for Go Ape, the family cycle trail passes by here and there's a fab cafe too. One of the iconic attractions to relax and also you can spend some beautiful time with your loved ones in the center of greenery.

Mallards Pike Lake is in the centre of the Forest of Dean and is a beautiful lake surrounded by woodland. The lake is a hub of activity, with something for everyone, such as big family picnic areas, Go Ape, watersports, family cycling trails, parkruns and Gruffalo Orienteering for kids.

Littledean Jail in the Forest of Dean is a unique visitor attraction and home to the crime through time collection and the quadropehnia collection. Behind the austere gatehouse entrance, the prison, with it’s formidable sandstone façade remains much as it was when first built. Steeped in history and infamy, its awesome appearance provides a stark reminder of the hard labour and craftsmanship needed to build this architecturally important jailhouse.

This 4.5 mile long Sculpture Trail was one of the first to open in the UK which was established in 1986. It provides a unique opportunity to walk through the woodlands and discover art along the way. The Sculpture Trail links several different site-specific sculptures commissioned for the forest. It is open from dawn to dusk every day of the year.

Beechenhurst lies in the heart of the Forest of Dean, one of Britain's oldest and largest woodlands. It is the ideal place for families to start their forest adventure, with a Gruffalo Spotters trail, Sculpture Trail, play area, Go Ape Tree Top Adventure and climbing tower. 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.

A beautiful two large ponds, which offers a large flat grassed area close to the car park and next to the ponds. It was home to lots of wildlife including mandarin ducks, awards, and dragonflies. The top pond is a wildlife trust nature reserve.

Cannop Cycle Centre is a small woodland cycling centre, comprising mountain bike trails, a visitor centre, car parks and uplift service. It is located on the former site of Cannop Colliery in the Cannop Valley, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The nearest village is Parkend, 3 miles away. The cycling centre has been an active supporter of the Hands off our Forest campaign and hosted a 'cycle protest rally' in January 2011.

Hopewell is a working coal mine managed by Rich Daniels, a freeminer of the forest. It offers a unique visitor experience in that you can actually visit the mine workings. See how coal, the power source of Britain for many centuries, is mined. Understand the extreme conditions that miners have to work in and so more.

Westbury Court Garden is a Dutch water garden in Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, England, 9 miles southwest of Gloucester. The garden was designed 1695-1705. The house has gone but the garden survives and has the reputation of being one of the best examples of the 'Dutch Style in England' and of a 'Dutch canal garden'.

The Dean Forest Railway is a 4 1⁄4-mile long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Traveling in nostalgic and comfortable carriages, pulled by either carefully restored steam locomotives or delightful diesel locomotives, this line winds through the atmospheric and calming panorama of the Forest of Dean, passing the numerous quaint station houses that have been repaired and maintained by the dedicated volunteers that continue to run the lin

WWT Slimbridge is a wetland reserve situated close to Slimbridge village near to Dursley, Gloucestershire. It was the first Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) to be opened. Many water birds live there all year round, and others are migrants on their ways to and from their summer breeding grounds. Other birds overwinter, including large numbers of white-fronted geese and increasing numbers of Bewick's swans.

Perrygrove Railway is a fantastic family attraction based in the forest of dean, offering a great day out on our railway lines, picnic facilities and treetop adventure and so more. The railway was inspired by the minimum gauge estate railways or British narrow gauge railways developed by Sir Arthur Heywood at the end of the 19th century, including his pioneering Duffield Bank Railway and the later Eaton Hall Railway.

Puzzlewood is an attraction suitable for all ages. The site, covering 14 acres (5.7 ha), shows evidence of open cast iron ore mining dating from the Roman period, and possibly earlier. The area contains strange rock formations, secret caves and ancient trees, with a confusing maze of paths.

At Clearwell Caves you discover the hidden world the miners created, as they dug through impressive natural caverns to remove iron ore and ochre pigment. The caves are part of a Natural England designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and the notification includes parts of Clearwell along with Old Bow, Lambsquay and Old Ham mine complexes.

The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal was once the broadest and deepest in the world. Even today, it stands out from other navigations because of its sheer scale and impressive engineering. With huge swing-bridges and pretty bridge-keepers’ houses to pass along the way, you’ll never be short of landmarks or beautiful viewpoints.

The Stroudwater Navigation in the Cotswolds is an 8 mile stretch of canal with 12 locks along the route. It is a canal managed by the Cotswold Canal Trust. These are a group of volunteers who are actively working on restoring the canal to its former glory.

Taurus Crafts is a vibrant visitor centre where you can see a wide range of arts and crafts. Throughout the year, there are opportunities to discover your own creativity, As well as being the home to a fantastic range of independent businesses, we run two shops with a mixed ability team.

May Hill is one of the most familiar landmarks in the east of the Forest of Dean and at 296 metres. it is the highest point around. There are views from the top for many miles in all directions and on a clear day you can see up to 12 other counties. Its summit is on the western edge of Gloucestershire and its northern slopes in Herefordshire. It is reached by three public footpaths, two forming parts of the Gloucestershire Way and Wysis Way.

Coppett Hill is situated in South Herefordshire in the parish of Goodrich, which is equidistant between Ross on Wye and Monmouth. Permissive paths give access to the reserve as well as offering views stretching from the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains to the Clee Hills in Shropshire and the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. The reserve is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This is the house where Edward Jenner, pioneer of vaccination against smallpox, lived and told the world about his work. Less than 200 years later, smallpox had been eradicated, with countless lives saved in the process. Today you can see Jenner’s Study, explore his garden, including the historic Vinery and the modern Physic Garden, and stand in the Temple of Vaccinia, where Jenner vaccinated the people of Berkeley free of charge.