A major project to help make the Forest of Dean more accessible for people with disabilities, health conditions and access needs is now complete, making one of its most popular visitor sites more inclusive than ever before.
Forestry England's Beechenhurst site has always been popular with families, thanks to its ever-changing activity trails, adventure playground and access to the child-friendly Colliers Trail cycling route.
Now, as part of an ongoing mission to improve access for all, Forestry England has made some significant improvements to make the site more inclusive, including a brand-new accessible trail.
The Glade trail is an all-ability access trail, suitable for people visiting with wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters. It's flat with wide, hard-surfaced pathways and plenty of benches and rest stops along the route.
Visitors can also now hire all-terrain mobility scooters to help them explore the forest, improving access to nature for those with limited mobility.
Meanwhile, Beechenhurst's popular play area has also been enhanced with new, accessible play equipment, including a boardwalk featuring a sensory nature wall, drum table and rain wheel which is accessible for wheelchair users.
There's also a brand-new toddler tower, with balancing logs, traversing ropes and a slide for little adventurers.
A new Changing Places toilet facility further improves accessibility across the site, featuring a spacious toilet area with a hoist, shower, adult changing table and shower, for visitors with disabilities.
Emily Fergusson, recreation manager for Forestry England in the Forest of Dean, said: 'The nation's forests are for all to enjoy and we are constantly working to improve our visitor sites and remove barriers.
'Our aim is to make Beechenhurst as inclusive as possible for anyone to visit and this project marks a significant step forward for us in reaching this goal.'
The improvements at Beechenhurst have been paid for by Forestry England's 'Access for All' programme, which is supported by Defra and was also used to launch a brand-new, accessible mountain biking trail at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre in October last year.
