Whether you’re a first time visitor, or returning to rediscover its charms, you’ll find the best in hospitality, along with spectacular scenery, a wealth of wildlife and a fascinating heritage.

The Forest is full of intriguing surprises.

“This heart shaped land”, as the locally born playwright Dennis Potter, whose TV credits include The Singing Detective, wrote, is tucked into an elbow between the rivers Severn and Wye.

For centuries the area was a favourite hunting ground of kings. It was designated a National Forest Park in 1938, the first in England, and covers 27,000 acres of ancient woodland.

It was the birthplace of Harry Potter author JK Rowling, radio DJ Jimmy Young and pioneering pop music producer Joe Meek.

There are more visitor facilities and events than you’ll find in any other national forest park in Britain.

Consequently, the range of things to do and places to see is certain to offer much that will fire your imagination, whatever your interests may be.

Just to whet your appetite, there are forest trails, cycle routes, an arboretum, 40 local nature reserves and nine Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

More than a thousand sites of industrial archaeology provide a fascinating insight into the life of the Forest over the centuries.

Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy fishing, horse riding, llama trekking, caving and canoeing. Golfers are spoilt for choice with seven courses, all or most of which offer day passes.

If extreme sports are more to your liking, check out the local opportunities for rock climbing, abseiling, sphering, off-road driving and other white knuckle activities.

There are the towns and villages to discover, or get to know a little better. As you travel between them you’re sure to see the Forest’s famous free-roaming sheep grazing the verges. And then there’s the wildlife.

It’s said there are some 400 fallow deer in the Forest and if you’re sharp-eyed and tread lightly you’re likely to see them almost anywhere. You might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of wild boar.

Peregrine falcons can be viewed from Symonds Yat Rock, goshawks from the New Fancy viewpoint and buzzards, now quite common, can be seen throughout the woodlands. Nightjars nest in Tidenham, pied flycatchers at the RSPB’s Nagshead Nature Reserve in Parkend and many other exciting species can be found in the area.

All that fresh air is certain to give you a good appetite - and that’s just as well. You’re in Gloucestershire, which produces much of the finest, freshest food found anywhere.

Enjoy your stay – and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Forest of Dean soon.

Best wishes,

Patrick Molyneux

Cabinet member for economic regeneration

Forest of Dean District Council