Big Day Out to the Doward

Once a far more industrial site, this small and ancient nature reserve is set within the Doward landscape near Symonds Yat. A footpath runs between the canopy of woodland, from the car park leading to King Arthur’s Cave. 

There are many hollows and bumps along the path, reflecting the pits and heaps created from the extensive and centuries-old quarrying of the limestone below. 

The pupils were eager to explore the setting and after a safety briefing they set off to do just that.They were observed scaling steep banks and outcrops, then sliding down to the base of the large open quarries. Every so often, they were given a gentle reminder not to over reach or become too complacent within their surroundings.

 The cave itself is limestone and is located at the base of a low cliff in the nature reserve.

 It is shrouded in local superstition and it is unclear how or why the cave became linked with King Arthur. Some say it played a part in the early legend of King Vortigern, a native British King who fought the invading Anglo Saxons, while others suggest it was actually part of a linguistic mix-up (‘Deu Arth’ was the old Welsh name for the hill fort at Little Doward and is also taken to mean ‘relating to Arthur’).

This was a really successful trip, which not only gave the group a first hand experience of somewhere new and unfamiliar, it also highlighted to them the wealth of historical sites that  there are to be explored dotted around the country.