Grizedale Forest

Grizedale Forest
Grizedale Forest
	; Grizedale Tarn
Location	Lake District, England
Nearest city	Carlisle
Coordinates	54°20′25″N 3°01′25″W / 54.34028°N 3.02361°WCoordinates: 54°20′25″N 3°01′25″W / 54.34028°N 3.02361°W
Area	24.47 km²
Visitors	200,000 (in 2006)
Governing body	Natnional Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority

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 comprises 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 forest is also used for two annual rallies: the Malcolm Wilson Rally and the Grizedale Stages Rally, based in Coniston

Go Ape[edit]

At the forest along the trail there is a high ropes course wich consists of ziplines, rope crossings and tarzen swings. There is a 12 year old age limit and a 4ft 7inches (139.4cm).

Sculpture Trail[edit]

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 and Andy Goldsworthy.

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.