💷 Free entry
Dursley Sculpture and Play Trail
Free community woodland trail in Twinberrow Woods above Dursley, with hand-crafted sculptures created by local groups, school children and artists since 2008.
✦ We visited
The trail is at its best in early summer when the beech canopy is fully out, turning the light a vivid green. Worth combining with Dursley itself for lunch — the town is quieter and more local than many in the region.
The Dursley Sculpture and Play Trail sits in Twinberrow Woods above the town, in a mixed high forest of beech managed by the Twinberrow Foundation charity. The trail has been running since 2008 and is entirely community-made: all the sculptures along the route were created by local groups, school children and artists from the Dursley area, and new works are added each year, so the trail changes with every visit.
The woodland is the real draw for younger children. The tall beech canopy creates an impressive, cathedral-like atmosphere in summer and a dramatic skeleton of bare branches in winter. The sculptures add a sense of discovery as you walk — some are immediately playful and child-friendly, others more abstract and better for prompting questions. The combination works well across a range of ages, from small children following a parent round the loop to older ones reading about the artists and the community groups who made each piece.
There are no facilities at the woods themselves, so bring food and drink. The trail is always free and always open. To get there, head out of Dursley on the A4135 towards Tetbury, continue uphill with Twinberrow Woods on your right, then take a sharp right at the top of the hill and follow the lane until you see the signed car park. The car park itself is free.
As an entirely outdoor, unsealed woodland trail it is at its best in dry weather or with appropriate footwear after rain. Dursley itself is a quiet market town a short drive back down the hill, with a good range of independent shops and cafes.
Good for: arts, outdoors, sensory. Ages: 0–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–11.
Good to know
Is the Dursley Sculpture Trail free?
Yes, entirely free to visit with no admission charge. The car park at the trail entrance on the lane above Dursley is also free.
When is the sculpture trail open?
It is open all year, all day, with no set hours and no gates. As it is entirely outdoors, dry weather and good footwear make the experience better, particularly in winter.
Who made the sculptures?
All the sculptures were created by community groups from the Dursley area, including school children, community organisations and local artists. New pieces are added regularly, so the trail grows over time.
