The Royal Forest of Dean Rotary Club
The Gruffalo Trail - Open until February 28th 2013!
Brand new Gruffalo's Child Trail Coming Friday March 29th 2013!
(Please note: dogs are NOT allowed within the Centre or on the trail. The trail is pushchair friendly but can get extremely muddy in wet weather. Wheelchairs can access the trail but it could prove difficult for some.)
The Gruffalo Trail at the Dean Heritage Centre is now open to visitors! The woodland trail is a series of wooden carvings across our woodland site, depicting the adventures from the best loved childrens story by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
The trail recreates scenes from the storybook, including the mouse's confrontations with the fox, the owl and the snake who want to eat him for their dinner and the scary monster he creates to outwit them! The Gruffalo has received worldwide acclaim, selling 3.5 million copies in 31 different countries and a short film of the book featuring famous names from the British acting industry, was nominated for an Oscar last year.
The wooden sculptures have been painstakingly carved by resident chainsaw artists Clayton Ryder and Gil Parnham, using locally sourced redwood from the Forest of Dean.
The trail is open for the rest of 2012 and families will be able to enjoy special interactive trails around the centre, purchase tasty Gruffalo inspired treats in the cafe and take home their own Gruffalo from the gift shop.
Former England rugby captain and Gloucester Rugby stalwart Phil Vickery was on hand to open the Gruffalo trail at the Dean Heritage Centre near Soudley on the 31st March with his family. Phil said he was delighted to lend his support to the Dean Heritage Centre and thought the Gruffalo trail was great for families and children.
The Dean Heritage Centre has worked in partnership with local primary schools including Newnham St Peters, Littledean, St Whites Primary and Soudley who have kindly decorated toadstools, butterflies and other insects that decorate the backdrop of each Gruffalo scene. Year nine pupils from Lakers school have made interactive indoor activities and a Gruffalo house which provide plenty of fun whilst incorporating numeracy, literacy and science skills.
The cafe on site offers a Gruffalo Kids menu including Roasted Fox (Sausages), Scrambled Snake (Spaghetti Bolognese), Gruffalo crumble (Berry crumble) and Owl Ice cream (Ice cream and an owl biscuit) as well as an extensive and homely menu including a range of mouth-watering cakes.
Entry to the trail is included in the standard entry fee to the centre. Please see ‘Prices and Opening Hours’ for further information.
For photos of the trail click here.
The DHC thanks author Julia Donaldson, illustrator Axel Scheffler and publisher's Macmillan Children's Books, London, UK, for permission to create the Gruffalo trail.
