Women's Tour of Gloucestershire 8 June 2022

The Gloucestershire stage of the Women’s Tour of Britain in 2022 includes 85km of the 108km total through the Forest of Dean! Get ready for hill climbs through dense forest, sharp descents towards the River Severn, twisting roads, impressive views and plenty of bunting and flag waving along the way.

World-class road cycling will be coming through the Forest of Dean this summer as we host the Women’s Tour of Britain for the first time ever, on Wednesday 8th June 2022.

The Forest of Dean is a haven for cyclists, with miles of off-road paths, beautiful scenery, climbs and drops, a dedicated cycle centre, bike hire and plenty of cycle friendly accommodation and places to eat.

Cycling enthusiasts can get in on the free-to-watch action as athletes pedal through the county’s most scenic routes. Join the spectators on the day and enjoy the spectacle of the tour as it comes through the Forest of Dean on 8th June 2022, with the tour due to begin at 11am. See the timetable for the day here.

The Gloucestershire Stage Route

Heading west upon leaving Tewkesbury, riders will travel into the Forest of Dean, passing through Newent, Coleford, Lydney and Cinderford and finishing at Gloucester Docks.

Full details of the route through the Forest of Dean:

• Entering the Forest of Dean District 5 miles to the southwest of Tewkesbury the route travels west through beautiful green countryside via the villages of Corse and Upleadon towards the town of Newent.

Newent highlights: Newent is a thriving and picturesque market town known for its number of black and white buildings, over 100 of which are listed. It is one of the oldest inhabited towns in the Forest of Dean, settled since at least Roman times and appeared in the 1086 Domesday Book of William the Conqueror twice. It is a bustling town with independent retailers, pubs and cafes, with a pretty park, arboretum and lake. On the market square is the black and white timber Grade-II listed market house built in 1668. Alongside it is Valegro, the 2021 bronze sculpture of the triple Olympic gold medal winning horse trained in Newent by Carl Hester and ridden to victory by Charlotte Dujardin.

• Travelling south on the B4126 through Taynton there may be views of May Hill to the west, one of the highest hills in Gloucestershire and the highest in the Forest of Dean (971 feet) with a prominent near circular mound and a crowning clump of trees which makes it easily identifiable from far away. Many myths surround May Hill and it is a spiritual site, hosting Summer Solstice celebrations.
• Crossing the A40 and continuing south onto the A4136 now the real Forest comes into view, via Longhope village and past Harts Barn Cookery School and Forest Larder, a must-visit for foodies with specialities including wild boar sausages and wild garlic pesto. Sharp right into Mitcheldean then sharp left and a steep climb (350 feet) through dense forest.
• Through Drybrook then downhill then uphill again to Ruardean. The name 'Rwirdin' literally means 'fortified hill'. These are old Forest villages known for their mining communities.
• Several viewpoints are nearby including Plump Hill at Mitcheldean with stunning views to the south including all the way to the River Severn on a clear day and Pan Tod Beacon at Ruardean, a memorial to fallen miners, although neither are directly on the route.
• The route now passes close to the River Wye at Lydbrook a pretty Forest village in a deep valley and then travels south and then west back onto the A4136 via Worrall Hill (300 feet) then past Forest Hills Golf Club towards Coleford town.

Coleford highlights: A lively Forest town known for its festivals including the Coleford Music Festival (9-10 July 2022), Faddle Fair (27 August 2022) and Carnival of Transport (Easter). Many of the buildings originate from the 17th century and have Georgian features. A bustling town full of independent traders, shops, pubs, cafes and the award-winning Forest Deli. It has a picturesque market square and historic clock tower. The Battle of Coleford took place here in 1643 during the English Civil War and is commemorated by the Sealed Knot shooting muskets every year. The internationally known Puzzlewood, backdrop to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Merlin, Dr Who and many more films and TV productions is to the south of Coleford.

• Travelling out of Coleford the route goes west past Greenacres Campsite into an area known as the Scowles. A steep drop down a zigzag road (400 feet) with stunning Wye Valley views west, it is only a mile from the border with Wales here (Monmouthshire). Route travels south into Newland and past All Saints Church ‘the Cathedral of the Forest’ dating back to the early 1200s.
• Southeast into Clearwell home of the Tudor Farmhouse Hotel and Clearwell Caves. Steep descent out of the Forest towards Lydney which is along the River Severn hopefully with vast views of the river across to the Cotswolds and beyond. Past Bream the route emerges onto Lydney High Street for just 200 metres (including across the railway line for the Dean Forest Railway) before an ascent again back into the Forest.

Lydney highlights: Known as the gateway to the Forest of Dean due to its historic docks which have been used from Roman times through the industrial revolution and well into the 20th century. Lydney Harbour has long riverside walks, a café and is great for birdwatching. The Severn has the 2^nd highest tidal range in the world creating The Severn Bore which can be seen from Lydney.

• Back north the route goes past Norchard Station home of the Dean Forest Railway. One of the UK’s finest heritage railways and last remaining steam train experiences in the UK, there is a museum and cafe serving cream teas. For the next 4.5 miles of the tour the route follows the railway line north, beginning on the west of the road, then the route crosses the line at Whitecroft and the line is on the east side of the road into Parkend (look out for signs of steam rising through the trees as the cyclists pass by).
• The route passes Dean Forest Cycles and café as it enters the village of Parkend, then past Parkend Station where the railway terminates. Parkend is a picturesque small village in the heart of the Forest surrounded by beautiful woodland. One of the best locations for exploring the Forest of Dean, with RSPB Nagshead Nature Reserve, the Dean Forest Railway and The Fountain Inn.
• Travelling north still the route continues to follow the old railway line but this is now the Family Cycle Trail, a 9-mile circular off-road cycle route. The route goes back into deep forest, past the very picturesque Cannop Ponds and close to Hopewell Colliery where underground tours are available with a Forest freeminer, as well as the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre at Cannop, the cycling hub of the Forest, on the site of an old colliery, with bike hire, downhill runs and 'big air' jumps.
• Route travels east along the Speech House Road with a climb of 300 feet past Beechenhurst, a Forestry England visitor site and hub of activity with café and Go Ape. The start of the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is here, a 4.5 mile trail which opened in 1986. A large stained glass window hanging from the trees called Cathedral is alongside the road and may be seen.
• The route passes the front of The Speech House Hotel, built in 1682 as a hunting lodge for King Charles II it hosted the Court of Mine Law and Court of the Speech and you can still eat in the Verderers’ Court today (one of the oldest courts in the UK) which is a fine dining restaurant. The Speech House Hotel is now a 35 bedroom hotel and wedding venue.
• Past the Cyril Hart Arboretum established in 1915 and home to over 200 tree species, Woorgreens Nature Reserve and another steep climb (300 feet) as the tour route goes past the southern edge of Cinderford (the route doesn’t actually go into the town at all).

Cinderford highlights: Completely surrounded by beautiful ancient woodland making it a walker’s and cylist’s paradise. Its name comes from the iron ore which was mined and smelted in the area from Norman times. Cinderford continued to rely on mining, especially coal, right up until the 1960s, and its heritage is marked by a statue of a Forest of Dean freeminer in the town centre. Has one of Britain’s oldest cinemas, the Palace Cinema.

• An almost complete descent out of the Forest now (almost 700 feet), south through Littledean the route travels goes past Elton Mazes, Battlesports and Dean Laser Clay and onto the A48. Through the pretty Westbury-on-Severn, past the award-winning Severn and Wye Smokery, who supply Harrods with their smoked salmon, Minsterworth which hugs the Severn and offers great views, and towards the A40 where the route travels into Gloucester.

About The Women's Tour

Over 14 of the world’s best teams will be taking part in 2022. Fans of the sport might recognise a few famous names, including team SD Worx, the world’s number one team, and the squad of defending champion, Demi Vollering.

Mick Bennett, race director for The Women’s Tour, said: ‘We know there are many cycling fans in Gloucestershire, so being able to take the race to the famous county for the first time in 2022 is fantastic news.’

The race is sure to bring a thrilling atmosphere and will be broadcast both nationally and internationally.

Get Involved in the Forest of Dean

We want you to help us showcase how cycle friendly the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is. Decorate your property or business in readiness for the 8th June, put up bunting, decorate an old bike, prepare signs saying Cyclists are Welcome in the #DeanWye, tag us on social media and send your photos to marketing@visitdeanwye.co.uk.

Below are examples from the Men's Tour of Britain when it came through here in 2016: