We have rented a cottage in the Forest of Dean for a week.
This walk started at the Symonds Yat Rock car park which was absolutely packed with people. The first problem was how to pay for parking, the machine only took coins and to park all day was £7 but between us we only had £6.76 in change. You could also pay using your phone but, unsurprisingly, there was no signal. I walked up to the cafe, could they change a £10 note for the parking machine?
'No, we don't have enough change'
'Oh, I'm a bit stuck then'
'Well we can sell you a parking ticket here if you want to do that'
'Yes of course I do, did you think that I have some strange parking ticket machine fetish where I get off on putting coins in a slot, I don't care where the ticket comes from so long as I can park my car'
So parking ticket purchased we walked with the crowds up to the top of Symonds Yat rock for the amazing views over the river Wye.
It was starting to gently rain and there were no signs of the raptors that can sometimes be seen here.
The river is in huge loops here so the picture is looking off the east side of the rock but we then walked steeply down through the woods to the west to get to the river. It was raining quite heavily now but the foliage was so dense that we stayed mostly dry.
Coin log in the woods
The rain had stopped and we walked on the side of the river on the bed of the old railway track before crossing the river on the very wobbly suspension bridge. Mrs R was not happy.
We stopped for our lunch and then had coffee and cake in the cafe before continuing on along the river bank.
The valley was heavily industrialised in the past and there were a number of ruins to explore including this lime kiln
We climbed the hill up a steep gully.
Then headed up further to an iron age hill fort. The banks and ditches were still very clear to see, though they didn't photograph well.
We doubled back on our selves and walked along the top of the ridge to King Arthur's Cave.
Then returned to the river and had to re-cross the suspension bridge.
Then back along the old railway and up the hill to the car. A very pleasant 10 miles.