An area of Gloucestershire has been named among the UK’s most instagramable running locations for spring.

New research by New Balance has analysed the Instagram hashtags of 135 UK parks and forests which advertise running routes to determine which locations offer runners the most picturesque routes this Spring.

Gloucestershire forest, Forest of Dean, has been named the 4th best spot for a scenic run in Spring in the UK.

The study found 309,774 uses of the hashtag #forestofdean on Instagram and it’s the only location outside of London to make the top five.

What did New Balance have to say about Forest of Dean?

There are plenty of birds, plants and animals to look out for, including wild boar.

The Forest of Dean has also featured in the Harry Potter films as some parts of Hogwarts Castle have been filmed there and snatchers search for Harry in the forest.

Runners of all abilities can run in the forest with a range of routes available.

Mallard’s Pike running trails are the best place to start, New Balance says.

Whether you’re looking to run 2km, 3km, 5km or 10km, there’s something for everyone.

Top 20 most scenic running routes for Spring in the UK

Here are the UK’s top 20 most scenic running routes for Spring along with the hashtag researched and the number of hashtags used.

  1. Regent’s Park, Greater London - #regentspark, 467,978
  2. Richmond Park, Greater London - #richmondpark, 466,080
  3. Hampstead Heath, Greater London - #hampsteadheath, 352,779
  4. Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire - #forestofdean, 309,774 
  5. Greenwich Park, Greater London - #greenwichpark, 228,335 
  6. Battersea Park, Greater London - #batterseapark, 201,704 
  7. Kensington Gardens, Greater London - #kensingtongardens, 190,758 
  8. Sherwood Forest Country Park, Nottinghamshire - #sherwoodforest, 171,062 
  9. Bushy Park, Greater London - #bushypark, 159,668 
  10. Epping Forest, Essex – #eppingforest, 151,676
  11. West Highland Way, Highlands - #westhighlandway, 136,038
  12. Sefton Park, Merseyside - #seftonpark, 111,007 
  13. Heaton Park, Lancashire - #heatonpark, 104,563
  14. Tatton Park, Cheshire - #tattonpark, 101,009 
  15. Hyde Park, Greater London - #hydeparklondon, 81,422 
  16. Bradgate Park, Leicestershire - #bradgatepark, 75,951 
  17. Rutland Water, Rutland - #rutlandwater, 73,788 
  18. Roundhay Park, North Yorkshire - #roundhaypark, 72,603 
  19. Brockwell Park, Greater London - #brockwellpark, 71,284
  20. Wimbledon Common, Greater London - #wimbledoncommon, 68,216 

The top three on the list of most scenic spring running locations, are all in London with Regent’s park at number one with 467,978 hashtag uses, Richmond Park in second place with 466,080 hashtag uses and Hampstead Heath in third with 352,779 hashtag uses.