Meadowcliff Pool
Gated entrance – location:
OS Ref – SO 6387 1541
What3Words – openly.stem.piles
A small, pretty pool quite close to Steam Mills lake, a bit of a hidden gem and not on the route of many hikers and mountain bikers. Like Steam Mills, Meadowcliff is on the site of an old colliery working, there is still a spoil heap to the west of the pool, and what remains of Northern United Colliery immediately to the north.
Like all RFODAC waters, the lake is leased from Forestry England, and is accessed using FE roads and tracks, it is best accessed from A4136 Mitchedean to Coleford road.
From the A4136, pass the set of lights north of Cinderford heading towards Coleford, take a left into the old Northern United Colliery. Follow the track from approximately 500 yds, pass the old Northern United buildings on your right, you’ll see a green Forestry gate on your right. You can park on the track close by; do not obscure the track or the opening arc of the gate, please.
Be cautious – the tracks are somewhat rough, rutted, and prone to man-sized potholes after wet weather or heavy forestry traffic.
Those with a Forestry key can open the gate and drive to the small car park adjacent to three of the swims on the north of the lake.
Meadowcliff is not used for club matches; it is an ideal location for some pleasure fishing in peaceful surroundings. It’s likely that many local youngsters learned their angling skills from patient parents at Meadowcliff through the years.
Over the past two or three years the Club have really struggled to control weed growth at this location, the infamous “Canadian weed” can grow faster than the work parties can clear it. This means the lake can be seen as unfishable in later spring and summer. Maybe in the 2024-25 season, we will get enough people to work parties to clear this problem for the whole year; this will rely on a good turn out for work parties, something we’ve never been able to rely upon.
Stock
The pond is stocked with carp, crucian carp, roach, rudd, tench and perch.
Meadowcliff on a dark spring day. As always, very quiet.