Lydcin two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Lydcin here.

A great route that showcases many aspects of the character of The Forest of Dean as a place. I trialled this route on 12.5.2022, determined to modify it to include the Dean Heritage Centre.

I modified Lydcin One to leave Lydney on a quieter residential road, Albert Street rather than busier Forest Road. Out of the residential area the route follows an old but clear forestry track to a junction in a clearing, at which walkers should take care to pick the correct path out and across a dam holding back a pond (photograph one). Full attention to navigation continues to be necessary on the zig-zag ascent along paths and forestry tracks.

The route emerges from the forested land into a large solar energy array (photograph two), interestingly juxtaposed with the decommissioned Magnox nuclear reactors at Berkeley and Oldbury on the opposite bank of the Severn estuary, which may be spotted from higher ground (photograph four).

On my passage, I found that the management of the farmland in this area was not accommodating of walkers; no path had been rolled across the large arable field between Yorkley Court and Badhamsfeld but there is a sighting point of a house visible by the exit from the field opposite (photograph three). It's worth pausing in the field to look back to the view of the Severn estuary, the Magnox reactors and the M48 and M4 Severn crossings (photograph four).

The route passes through pasture and arable fields to Yorkley Slade and then follows forestry tracks needing vigilant navigation at all junctions to arrive at the gates to Danby Lodge (photograph five). Skirting the grounds of Danby Lodge, the route passes some impressive beech trees (photograph six) and then descends along more forestry tracks and paths to a road junction at Blackpool Bridge, beyond which it passes under one of the Forest of Dean's many disused railway lines (photograph seven). A section of old road runs parallel to the modern tarmac, and a sign explains that this old road has become known as "The Roman Road" (photograph eight).

The route avoids the tarmac and follows forestry tracks, crossing the tarmac near Bullock's Beech to access the scattered settlement facing Pig Slade, where I indeed found evidence of wild boar turning the soil (photograph nine). The route links through to Dean Heritage Centre via Zion Chapel (photograph ten) and a stream side path that avoids the potentially busy road (photograph eleven).

My reason for deviating from the Lydcin One route was to include Dean Heritage Centre, which is a hub for interpreting the Forest of Dean as a place - and has a good cafe with great views over the site from its terrace (photograph twelve).

North of Dean Heritage Centre lie Soudley Ponds (photograph thirteen), followed by the steep bank in Sneyd Wood to access the ridge crest and the 237 masl summit above Cinderford (photograph fourteen, looking west towards the Black Mountains in the distance). Be sure to look out for the blocks of furnace residue used to cap a wall on one side of a narrow footpath on the residential outskirts of Cinderford (photograph fifteen)

A great route that showcases many aspects of the character of The Forest of Dean as a place. I trialled this route on 12.5.2022, determined to modify it to include the Dean Heritage Centre.

I modified Lydcin One to leave Lydney on a quieter residential road, Albert Street rather than busier Forest Road. Out of the residential area the route follows an old but clear forestry track to a junction in a clearing, at which walkers should take care to pick the correct path out and across a dam holding back a pond (photograph one). Full attention to navigation continues to be necessary on the zig-zag ascent along paths and forestry tracks.

The route emerges from the forested land into a large solar energy array (photograph two), interestingly juxtaposed with the decommissioned Magnox nuclear reactors at Berkeley and Oldbury on the opposite bank of the Severn estuary, which may be spotted from higher ground (photograph four).

On my passage, I found that the management of the farmland in this area was not accommodating of walkers; no path had been rolled across the large arable field between Yorkley Court and Badhamsfeld but there is a sighting point of a house visible by the exit from the field opposite (photograph three). It's worth pausing in the field to look back to the view of the Severn estuary, the Magnox reactors and the M48 and M4 Severn crossings (photograph four).

The route passes through pasture and arable fields to Yorkley Slade and then follows forestry tracks needing vigilant navigation at all junctions to arrive at the gates to Danby Lodge (photograph five). Skirting the grounds of Danby Lodge, the route passes some impressive beech trees (photograph six) and then descends along more forestry tracks and paths to a road junction at Blackpool Bridge, beyond which it passes under one of the Forest of Dean's many disused railway lines (photograph seven). A section of old road runs parallel to the modern tarmac, and a sign explains that this old road has become known as "The Roman Road" (photograph eight).

The route avoids the tarmac and follows forestry tracks, crossing the tarmac near Bullock's Beech to access the scattered settlement facing Pig Slade, where I indeed found evidence of wild boar turning the soil (photograph nine). The route links through to Dean Heritage Centre via Zion Chapel (photograph ten) and a stream side path that avoids the potentially busy road (photograph eleven).

My reason for deviating from the Lydcin One route was to include Dean Heritage Centre, which is a hub for interpreting the Forest of Dean as a place - and has a good cafe with great views over the site from its terrace (photograph twelve).

North of Dean Heritage Centre lie Soudley Ponds (photograph thirteen), followed by the steep bank in Sneyd Wood to access the ridge crest and the 237 masl summit above Cinderford (photograph fourteen, looking west towards the Black Mountains in the distance). Be sure to look out for the blocks of furnace residue used to cap a wall on one side of a narrow footpath on the residential outskirts of Cinderford (photograph fifteen)