Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

25/09/2026

Peter Appleton’s sculpture, Melissa’s Swing, is named after the artists daughter. It was conceived as a kind of Aeolian harp to be suspended in a tree for the wind to activate into sound. Since the wind is less noticeable in summer when most people would visit the sculptures, he attached a rope so that visitors could make the sound for themselves.

Since people were bound to swing on the rope, Appleton completed the piece with a swing, so that people could enjoy the sensation of swinging while the shimmering metallic sounds filtered in and out of the natural sounds of the forest. When softly stirred the sound is like that of the wind in the leaves, but when vigorously shaken, it resembles the sound of thunder. The sculpture alerts us to the many different and subtle sounds of the forest, so that our sense of hearing as well as our sense of sight and touch is stimulated.

Appleton subsequently created two temporary pieces for the forest. Nine Evening Fireflies was an installation of nine tiny red lights in a copse of Canadian Spruce, suggestive of the forest’s thriving insect life. The Wind Chimes was created from a found object in the forest: a cross-section of a pine trunk with six evenly spaced branches. This was placed on a ten-foot pole and fitted with sails and bells made from scrap metal. The pole was installed near to where Appleton stayed in his caravan during his residency; in his words, “I thought the sculpture had a Tibetan feel and rang for the departed.”

Photographs by Rupert Martin.

20/09/2026

‘Place’ by Magdalena Jetelovà

Place – known colloquially as the Giant’s Chair – was commissioned in 1986. One of the first sculptures to feature on the newly opened Trail, it was constructed from five large oak trunks. The oak was prepared at the Sculpture Shed in Bristol and, after six months of weathering in the forest, was hoisted into place using a 10-ton crane.

Commanding a magnificent view of the Cannop Valley, this structure sat like a huge throne, or like a giant surveying his territory. Recalling the prehistoric structures of Stonehenge, the sculpture appeared already to have stood for centuries. With its irregular stance it was also reminiscent of a strange animal in one of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, striding across the landscape.

The awe-inspiring sculpture brought ancient myths to mind, but it was also influenced by more recent history: Jetelová’s experiences as a young woman in communist Czechoslovakia.

The sculpture was dismantled in 2015, an event that was captured and broadcast by BBC News. Two of the larger legs were placed nearby to provide habitat for invertebrates and other wildlife. The remainder of the timber was sawn into sections and constructed into a traditional charcoal hearth called a ‘clamp’. The timber was then transformed into charcoal in a public burning event overseen by Onya McCausland and Jetelová, who returned to the Sculpture Trail for the first time in 29 years.

In 2015 a film was commissioned to tell the story of Place. You can watch it on Youtube via the link in our bio.

Photographs by Chris Morris and Rupert Martin.

18/09/2026

‘Sliced Log Star’ by Andrew Darke

‘The first work to be placed in the forest was the ‘Sliced Log Star’ by Andrew Darke. Having moved from Yorkshire to the Dean to make the most of the availability of wood, Darke was more familiar with the forest than the other artists. His work explores through minimal form and rhythmic patterns the character of tree and wood. One of his two proposals was for a spiral planting of different species of tree to reveal over the years the different pace of growth and shape of each species. The second proposal, which was the one commissioned, is a tribute to the interior life of the tree. With the help of a sawyer in a local saw-mill, he skilfully dissected an oak tree into eight segments, before placing them inside-out in a star shape near the Speech House, at the focal point of the long Spruce Ride. The space enclosed by the segments is the same as that which the tree originally occupied, and the work has weathered to a silvery grey. the idea is clearly realised and the juxtaposition of the sculpture next to an oak tree of a similar age is particularly appropriate. The formal aspects of the work are indicated in a nearby small-scale work which shows the tree in the process of being turned inside-out.

Excerpt from Rupert Martin’s ‘The Sculpted Forest: Sculptures in the Forest of Dean’

Photographs by Rupert Martin and Andrew Darke.

16/09/2026

This year we're celebrating 40 years since the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail officially opened at Beechenhurst. Over the next few months we’ll be sharing some images and memories from our archive.

It all began in 1983, when Martin Orrom (then Forestry and Environment Officer for the Forestry Commission) wrote a brief for the establishment of a sculpture trail in the Forest of Dean. Working with Jeremy Rees and Rupert Martin from Arnolfini in Bristol, around 20 artists were invited to visit the Forest of Dean in 1984 and submit proposals for sculptures.

Six artists were eventually chosen for the Sculpture Project (as it was then called), these founding commissions were collectively titled “Stand and Stare” and many of them can still be seen today.

These first works were:
Kevin Atherton’s ‘Cathedral’
Keir Smith’s ‘Iron Road’
Andrew Darke’s ‘Sliced Log Star’
David Nash’s ‘Black Dome’ and ‘Fire and Water Boats’
Magdalena Jetelovà’s ‘Place’
Peter Appleton’s ‘Melissa’s Swing’

When the trail was opened on 19 June 1986 by Sir David Montgomery, then Chair of the Forestry Commission, it marked the start of something special.

Over the past 40 years, more than 30 artworks – both temporary and permanent – have appeared along the trail. Some have weathered and remained, others have returned to the Forest, but all have left their mark on those who walk among them.

19/07/2026

19/07/2026

17/07/2026

Unfortunately our Instagram login () has been hacked and we no longer have access to our old account. We have set up a new Instagram account - look out for the bold leaf profile pic and please follow for up-to-date posts, information about the trail and news of special events.
Many thanks!
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust

15/06/2026

We are looking for a new co-Chair! The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust CIO (FODST) is a registered charity that commissions sculptures for the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail at Beechenhurst, a Forestry England site. The unique heritage and environment of the Forest of Dean has inspired the creation of around 50 temporary and permanent sculptures on the trail since 1986, as well as film, poetry and photography projects, and artist residencies. In partnership with Forestry England, we have worked with emerging and world-renowned artists to establish a vital cultural resource that connects with local and global communities and contributes to the thriving arts ecology of southwest England.

The Charity

We are a small charity and being a trustee of FODST is a rewarding experience. The Board of Trustees are responsible for the charity’s long-term sustainability and strategic direction, ensuring that FODST meets both its charitable objectives and its legal requirements as a CIO. There are currently 7 trustees on the Board who contribute their expertise to informed decision-making and act as ambassadors for the charity.

Trustees are the custodians of the Sculpture Trail, volunteers who have played an important role in upholding the vision and mission of FODST across decades. Working closely with Forestry England, our trustees make a meaningful contribution to this pioneering and forward-looking organisation with their enthusiasm and commitment, skills and networks.

Interested in becoming our new co-Chair?

The Chair of the Board of Trustees is the keystone of the charity, overseeing higher-level and day-to-day operations. Our current Chair is in their final term as a trustee and we have decided that this role will be more equitably managed if it is shared between the existing Chair and a new co-Chair. For this role, we are seeking to appoint a committed and engaged individual with leadership experience, charity governance knowledge, strong communication skills and a belief in the fundamental value of arts and culture to society. This is a voluntary, unpaid position. Reasonable travel expenses can be reimbursed.

How to apply

If you are considering the role and would like an application pack or an informal chat, please email [email protected]

The deadline for applications is 12pm on Friday 31 July 2026.

Photo: Carolyn Black

13/06/2026

The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust (FODST) is thrilled to announce the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the Sculpture Trail, which took place on 19th June 1986!

The first sculptures to be unveiled on the Beechenhurst site were Sliced Log Star (Inside-Out Tree) by Andrew Darke; Black Dome and Fire and Water Boats by David Nash; The Iron Road by Keir Smith; Place by Magdelena Jetelova; Cathedral by Kevin Atherton; and Melissa’s Swing by Peter Appleton. Artist residencies took place in July and September which resulted in Bracken Ring and Bracken Knot by Stuart Frost, and The Four Seasons by Yvette Martin. During the summer, twenty workshops took place with adults and children.

We would like to thank Martin Orrom and Jeremy Rees whose vision brought the Sculpture Project, as it was then called, to life. Added to this are the artists whose ideas and proposals for the forest, assisted by curators and producers, set the bar for future commissioning. Early supporters included the Elephant Trust, the Henry Moore Foundation, the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, the Forestry Commission (later Forestry England), and South West Arts (now Arts Council England). Particular thanks should go to Rupert Martin, then a curator at the Arnolfini who worked on the Sculpture Project, and whose book The Sculpted Forest: Sculptures in the Forest of Dean (1990) leaves us with a fantastic record of those early days.

We would also like to acknowledge everyone that has been involved with the Sculpture Trail during its long existence – too many to list here, but these include artists, project managers, fabricators, groundworks engineers, Forestry and an extensive number of FODST charity trustees, whose tireless work ensures that the Sculpture Trail continues its pioneering work into the future.

In 2024 we commissioned Sam Williams to make a film commemorating the first conversations with artists at the site using material in the FODST archive held at the University of Gloucestershire. Find the film, Common Ground, on our website here.

Of course, the Sculpture Trail is nothing without the hundreds of thousands of visitors who spend time with the sculptures in the ancient forest every year. This is what we’re here for. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sculpture Trail, we invite you to consider donating to the charity to help fund the next commissioned artwork, bringing joy to many. Thank you for being part of the adventure and for your generous support.

Do look out for news on our website and social media, and please sign up to our newsletter mailing list through the website to find out how your donation has made a difference.


The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust CIO is a registered charity (no. 1185309) that works in partnership with Forestry England to commission artworks and artists’ projects for the Sculpture Trail at Beechenhurst, a Forestry England site.

Image: Artists and curators at the launch of the Sculpture Project, June 1986