Woodchester park, otherwise known as Spring Park due to the many springs located along the valley sides, is about a mile away from Nailsworth and is without doubt, this area's treasure. It could be described as a 'hidden valley', having been closed to the public for many years, you are now free to explore. However, because the park is now open to the public, I feel (only my opinion) that it may start to lose that 'wilderness experience' and become sanitised. Some days you will stumble accross more cars than people. Due to it's location a reasonable amount of effort is required to explore the whole park, which is around three miles from the top of the valley near Nympsfield (visitors car park, and signs warning burglers the the police are active in the area) to the other end near Woodchester, the end nearest to Nailsworth. If you intend to walk the 'big loop' (there are numerous marked tracks) then take lots of chocolate. You will need the fuel for the hike out! Currently, the park is undergoing a bit of 'forestry' so it is a bit churned up at the moment. According to the information board the plan is to make the park more open, which is how it would have looked many years ago. It is estimated that this will take twenty to thirty years. So I guess it will be a 'bit churned up' for quite some time! You will however encounter large piles of logs with that nice woody smell. I have seen deer, foxes, rabbits, and an owl, (not on the same day) during quiet evening visits. A heron seems to have made his home here also. With a little imagination, a big brown bear could come crashing out of the undergrowth and say hello, I'm going to eat you. But this is England so that won't happen - the bears here don't speak. The peace may be lost during the summer months by the sound of the airflow on the wings of gliders making a final approach to the Nympsfield gliding club airfield. On hearing the sound for the first time it will probably scare the life out of you, especially if you are taking a close look at the 'haunted' mansion and the light is fading. My OS map says the woods around the lakes are 'mixed', this includes pine, you know the stuff, all straight rows and no sunlight with a carpet of needles under foot. A total of five lakes of various sizes can be seen becoming four in the summer, with an old stone boathouse on one of the larger ones. It is posible to enter the park from the Nailsworth end, which will confuse you. You have to take a rather convoluted journey to avoid a very small section of private road. A stile and sign points you in the direction of a field where you will get lost. To sum up, take a diagnal down the field in the direction that you were heading. Over the style at the bottom, then take a very sharp right turn to go up the same field, only this time on the other side of the electric fence. Gerrr. As I mentioned before, the proper entrance complete with carpark is located just north of Nympsfield. T get to it from Nailsworth, head up Springhill and just keep going. The road becomes single track and will take you to Nympsfield. Take a right turn at the end of this road and the park entrance will be found shortly on the right. A small fee is required based on the voluntary box system.