The dare of the hog

Our walks often start from our door straight into the Forest of Dean. On a favourite path, adding miles to our 1000-mile challenge, we inadvertently startled a wild animal sleeping beneath a rampant bramble briar. The noise of its escape tempted us through the undergrowth to discover what we’d disturbed. The generous black backside of a wild boar fled through the trees ahead. That diversion took us to an area we hadn’t previously explored, exposing an example of the valley’s industrial heritage. A disused quarry, it bore an ancient tree with roots arching over fallen stone, providing a lair, which, in the dim light, and influenced by our recent encounter, might house some monster. Closer examination revealed no more than roots and rocks. But the incident introduced us to another alternative route through our beloved forest.

Stuart Allison, Lydbrook