Grizedale Forest
Grizedale Forest is a 24.47 km² area of woodland in the Lake District of North West England, located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead. It is made up of a number of hills, small tarns and the settlements of Grizedale and Satterthwaite. It is managed by the Forestry Commission and is a popular tourist destination with waymarked footpaths, mountain biking, an aerial assault course, a 16-bed hostel, and a visitor centre with a children's playground, education centre, café and shop. The car-parking of Grizedale Forest Visitors Centre is situated on the site of the former Grizedale Hall where its remains can be still seen.
| Grizedale Forest | |
|---|---|
 View of the northern part of Grizedale Forest | |
| Location | Lake District, England |
| Nearest city | Carlisle |
| Coordinates | 54°20′25″N 3°01′25″W |
| Area | 24.47 km² |
| Visitors | 200,000 (in 2006) |
| Governing body | National Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority |
In past years, several stages on the RAC Rally were held on tracks through Grizedale Forest every winter. The poor weather prevalent at the time of the rallies led to it earning the nickname 'Grizly Grizedale'. The forest continues to be used for two annual rallies: the Malcolm Wilson Rally and the Grizedale Stages Rally, based in Coniston.
Ropes course
At the forest along the trail there is a high ropes course which consists of ziplines, rope crossings and Tarzan swings. There is a 10-year-old age limit and a minimum height of 4 ft 7 inches (139.4cm).
Sculpture trail
Scattered throughout the forest are approximately 90 sculptures, often made from naturally occurring materials such as stone and wood. The project to place sculptures in the forest was started by the Grizedale Society in 1977 and won the 1990 Prudential Award for the Arts. Sculptors have included David Nash, Sally Matthews Andy Goldsworthy, Walter Bailey and Michael Winstone.
One quarter of the 200,000 visitors to Grizedale per year cycle. A new 9.7 mile mountain biking trail, the £167,000 North Face Trail, was opened in March 2006.
The highest point within Grizedale Forest is the 314 m high Carron Crag, overlooking a wooden panopticon sculpture.
Historically, Grizedale formed part of Lancashire North of the Sands.
Gallery
Grizedale Tarn
Light Column by Charles Grey Bray
Detail from Mea Culpa by Robert Bryce Muir, 2006
Lady of the Water
Woodsman sculpture from Grizedale visitor centre by David Kemp (sculptor)
Panorama of a sculpture
See also
- Grizedale College, a constituent college of the University of Lancaster named after the forest
References
External links
