Hollybush Pits to Coleford Bridge Route

The Blackwater Valley Path is divided into 12 different sections Section 1 starts at the source of the River and section 12 finishes at Swallowfield Parish Hall. This is section 3 of the path heading northwards.
Distance 2 miles

1. Go to North Camp Station and with the station on your right and the Old Ford pub behind you, cross over Station Road and follow footpath/cycleway through underpass.

2. Pass alongside the large footbridge over Blackwater Valley Relief Road. Keep the bridge to your left and rejoin path at end of old road. Turn right, passing through a small clump of trees. Take great care as the path runs alongside the A331 as it rises to cross the railway line.

3. Follow ramp down, cross over River and turn left passing under the road bridge.

4. Either continue along path beside River, or cross over bridge into Gerry's Copse, where a bridge at the other end of the site rejoins the path.

Gerry's Copse was planted in 1996 with many Willow, Alder and Hazel. These will be cut (coppiced) to provide material such as hedging stakes.

5. Keep left and follow left path into a small woodland. This path eventually takes you over a river bridge, through another small woodland and on to Coleford Bridge.

The Alder trees in these small woodlands each have a number of trucks, a sure sign of coppicing in the past. The trees are getting old and now are important for wildlife; look for the many woodpecker holes.