Blog
The Best Places to See Bluebells in the Forest of Dean
We love the springtime, after the grey, wet and dull days of winter, it is wonderful to see so much colour creeping back into the Forest. We particularly love the look of the bluebells which are a [...]
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Forest of Dean vs Cotswolds: A Quieter Countryside Escape in England
Discover why more travellers are choosing the Forest of Dean instead of the Cotswolds for a peaceful countryside escape. Ancient woodland, beautiful walks and relaxing stays await.
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Springtime in the Forest of Dean
There’s something genuinely magical about spring in the Forest of Dean. As winter fades, the ancient woodland bursts into life, filling the air with birdsong and the scent of fresh blooms. It’s the perfect time to step [...]
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More Hidden Forest of Dean Walks and Views to Discover this Spring
Following on from our previous blog, discover more hidden Forest of Dean walks and views for you to enjoy this Spring. Wintour’s Leap – Stunning Viewpoint This viewpoint is very tricky to find – you could drive [...]
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Discover the Hidden Forest of Dean Walks and Views this Spring
Photo credit: Lee McGrath The Forest of Dean, nestled up against the Welsh border in rural Gloucestershire, boasts an abundance of stunning scenery, ancient woodland and a huge range of flora and fauna. Read on to find [...]
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Our favourite activities in the Forest of Dean to explore
All Saints Church, Newland The church, which was built in the early 1200s and is known as The Cathedral of the Forest. There are several interesting artefacts to see here including medieval floor tiles, an effigy to [...]
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Unique Hidden Gems of the Forest of Dean: Slade Brook
As we are sure you are aware, the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley are areas of extreme natural beauty. We love exploring them ourselves just as much as we love telling our visitors about the [...]
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Dog Friendly Short Breaks: Explore the Forest of Dean & Stay in Style
Looking for a short break that includes your four-legged friend? The Forest of Dean is one of the UK’s most dog-friendly destinations....
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Cycling Routes in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
The Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, which is the home of bike rental company Pedalabikeaway, is one of the UK’s most popular trail centres. From here you will find the very popular family cycle trail, The Colliers [...]
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Why the Forest of Dean is so popular for foraging
Foraging for your own food is both immensely satisfying and a great way to enjoy the outdoors. The Forest of Dean
READ MOREAug
New Maps Available to Inspire Accessible Walks in the Forest of Dean
The Creative Canopy Network has produced three new maps specially designed to make getting out into nature more accessible, enjoyable and inspiring for everyone. Each mapped route is intentionally short (around 1 mile), focusing on the journey [...]
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Swimming beyond the River
The Forest of Dean is surrounded by rivers from the Severn to the Wye and the Monnow. But what about if you don’t want to swim in the rivers? Here are our top four alternative outdoor wild [...]
READ MOREJul
Supplier Info – Wye Bikes
We’ve started working with a great new local company called Wye Bikes.Whether you're here on holiday or you live in the stunning Wye Valley, their aim is to ensure you get to explore more of this bea…
READ MOREJun
Frosty Forest Fauna: Discovering Winter Wildlife In The Forest of Dean…
The Forest of Dean, a majestic ancient woodland in England, is particularly enchanting in winter. This guide highlights the wildlife that thrives in this forest during the colder months, offering a spectacular experience for nature enthusiasts. Deer: [...]
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Our Cottage Garden Design
During the first lockdown, Hari, Colin & their children moved into the hotel. One day sitting in the Cottage Garden, Colin realised that the space in the garden could be much better utilised. We would often run [...]
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8 Things to do in the Forest of Dean when it’s raining
They say there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. If you really don't like rain though, we have 8 great suggestions of things to do.
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8 of the best walks in and around the Forest of Dean
People travel here from all over the world to visit places like Clearwell Caves, Puzzlewood Forest and Redbrook because of their natural beauty. We’ve put together 8 of our favourite walks
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Explore the Industrial Heritage of the Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is renowned for its mining and industrial heritage and has been for many years. Although the nationalisation of the coal mining industry in 1946 prompted a decline in mining, independent freeminers are still permitted to [...]
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50 Years of Offa’s Dyke Path.
The Offa’s Dyke Path winds its way through stunning landscapes close to hotel on the edges of England and Wales, between Chepstow on the River Severn towards Prestatyn on the North Wales coast. The…
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The Heritage of the Forest of Dean
Not much is known about the Forest of Dean before the middle ages although there are some artefacts still in existence such as fossils from the prehistoric period, Mesolithic monuments, evidence of Bronze Age settlements, and tools [...]
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Cycling in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
Who can cycle? The Forest of Dean caters to all cycling abilities: from the gentle paved family cycle trail at Pedalabikeaway to the adrenaline fuelled trails at Cannop Cycle Centre, there really is something for all ages [...]
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Filming in the Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is an awe-inspiring landscape and as such has featured in many productions on both the small and the silver screen. Here we will take you on a whistle-stop tour of just some of [...]
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Forest of Dean
There is definitely something special about the Forest of Dean which is what prompted us to leave London in 2003 to take on the hotel and we have never looked back. We hope you love both the [...]
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The Farmhouse in the Forest
We are so lucky to live in such an amazing and beautiful location. But, as with all things, familiarity can breed, if not contempt, then at least indifference to our surroundings. I was reminded however about our [...]
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So, what is forest bathing all about…?
Everyone seems to be talking about Foresting Bathing. Is it a bath, a walk or just a passing wellbeing fad? We decided it was time to head into the woods and find out for ourselves. We are based [...]
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A Hidden Gem, the Gorgeous Forest of Dean – a blog post by Abi King
We were delighted to host Inside The Travel Lab AKA Abi King recently, here’s her lovely blog post about her stay in the Forest of Dean: Love the Cotswolds but looking for something new and a little [...]
READ MOREJan
Mushroom Foraging at Tudor Farmhouse – a blog post by Sara Chardin
This week we're delighted to share a blog post written by
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