Getting to the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre
Address: Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, B4234 (New Road), Cannop Valley, near Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 7EH
Sat nav note: GL16 7EH gets you close, but it can drop you in Coleford centre or at cottages down the road — so once you're near, follow the brown "Cycle Centre" signs off the B4234. The what3words for the actual car park is ///editor.enlighten.mysteries.
By car — the forest is easy to reach via the M4/M48, M5, M50, A40, A48 and A49:
-
From Gloucester: ~30–40 minutes (M5 then A40/A48)
-
From Bristol: ~1 hour (M4/M48 over the Severn Bridge)
-
From Cardiff: ~1 hour (M4 eastbound)
-
From Birmingham: ~1 hour 30 (M5 then M50)
-
From the airports: Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham are all within about 90 minutes' drive.
Parking: the barrier car park is managed by Forestry England — charged, card/contactless/RingGo, no cash. It gets very busy on sunny weekends and fills by mid-morning; there's an overflow area, but if it's full, park at Beechenhurst or Cannop Ponds (both connected to the centre via the Colliers Trail) rather than on verges. Or park outside the barrier — the trails never close.
By train: Lydney is the nearest mainline station (services via Newport or Gloucester). From Lydney you can connect to local buses, taxis and community transport. The Robin bookable bus also serves the area.
GETTING HERE
What you need to know
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east. The area is characterised by over 110 square kilometres (42.5 sq mi) of mixed woodland, one of the surviving ancient woodlands in England.
