Cyril Hart Arboretum and Spruce Ride – Sunday 19th January 2025. Book at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cyril-hart-arboretum-active-travel-initiative-creative-walk-in-nature-tickets-1123677913889?aff=oddtdtcreator
Meet in the Spruce Ride car park at 10.30am. Parking is free.
Address: Spruce Ride / Arboretum Car Park, GL16 7EJ. What3words: ///lakes.dozens.began (please don’t rely on the postcode if you don’t know the area as this covers a wide area of forest).
The path is flat. There are a couple of benches along the route.
Please wear warm clothes and suitable footwear – boots or sturdy shoes. The route will be wheelchair accessible.
Mobility scooters can be booked for the Cyril Hart Arboretum by calling The Speech House Hotel on 01594 822607.
About the creative walks
The routes are short, the emphasis being on the journey taken rather than the destination and will be packed with lots of creative activities to try. The walks or ‘strolls’ are aimed at encouraging those who find walking difficult to enjoy spending time in nature through art, nurturing connection, creative thinking and mental wellbeing through a combination of time outdoors, gentle exercise and social interaction.
All art materials and a notebook will be provided. All the work created on the walks will be retained by Canopy but can be returned to participants later. Work collected will be considered for inclusion into an A3 leaflet designed by a local illustrator who will make a map of each walk showing the art created along it. Maps will be available to the public by the end of March 2025.
Each walk is free but booking in advance is essential as places are limited. Please include the name of each participant when booking.
Canopy has several walking sticks and 4 walking ‘perches’ available for participants to use.
Canopy will organise a celebration of the new maps when printed in March to which all participants will be invited.
By attending this event, attendees acknowledge and agree that they are solely responsible for their own health, safety and wellbeing during the event. The hosting organisation assumes no liability or responsibility for any injuries, illnesses or damages that may occur before, during or after the event.
Your Canopy leader
A walk designed and guided by Roger Drury. Roger is a community arts worker and a member of the Canopy steering committee. Based and working in The Forest of Dean and environs since 1986. He develops creative activity, engaging with communities, working with all ages and abilities. Projects have included setting up Coleford Festival of Words, Forest of Dean Community Radio, Incomplete Histories, Oh Crumbs spoken word live events, Last Thursday live performances and Glos Writers Network. He is a writer/performer member of Custard Ceili Band & the Pukes.
