The school summer holidays are almost here, but you don’t have to wait for the holidays to find great events and activities in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. From music to outdoor adventures, here are ten things happening in the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley this July that you won’t want to miss!
- From July 1-9, it is the FarOpen art trail when 73 studios throughout the Forest of Dean and along the Rivers Severn and Wye open their doors for you to explore. This is a fabulous opportunity to meet artists in their unique working studios, see sketchbooks, work in progress and buy completed artwork, whether paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, metalwork, glass & enamelling, printmaking, photography, digital art, textiles, wood and furniture, carvings, cards, coaster, cushions. Immerse yourself in the studios’ creative environments and perhaps treat yourself to something special! You can find the trail map on the FarOpen website here.
- July kicks off with two huge performances at Chepstow Racecourse – Lewis Capaldi on July 1 and George Ezra on July 2. For more details of the events at Chepstow Racecourse, head to their website.
- Continuing with music, we have the Coleford Music Festival on July 8 & 9. In our nearest town this popular local festival is held every summer and features an eclectic mix of music, art, culture & community – everything from jazz, indie, blues, rock, ska, rockabilly, folk and much more….
- At the hotel on July 15, we have Liz Knight from Foraged Fine Foods. Liz will take you for a walk on the hotel grounds to collect foraged goodies. Back at the hotel Liz will show you how to make delicious foraged recipes to take away. Lunch is also included. To find out more about our foraging trips, visit the page here.
- Enjoy the therapeutic benefits of working with soft clay on the potter’s wheel at Eastnor Pottery on their one day courses, available on July 8, 15 & 26.
- Join our Wildlife Safari with Ed Drewitt on July 22. You can read more about our wildlife safaris here, or book direct.
- On July 23, the Dean Heritage Centre are offering a guided walk with local historian Alex Knight to Discover Dene. Join Alex for a walk in the woods to learn about the history, plants and wildlife of this stunning land betwixt two rivers. For more information and to book visit the Dean Heritage Centre website.
- On July 26, visit Raglan Castle and enjoy fantastic falconry displays from Wings of Wales. Find out more about the falconry days here.
- The Ross-on-Wye Vegan Market will take over the Caroline Symonds Gardens, on the western edge of the town next to the Bandstand, for the first time on July 29. The event will bring together a huge variety of vegan street food vendors, artisan bakers, craft brewers, ethical jewellers, sustainable chandlers, local artists, zero-waste champions, environmental charities, local community groups and loads more.
- On Sunday July 30 at 4.30pm, in the next village of Newland, enjoy the Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens – an outdoor play by Jenny Wren productions (who operate out of Everyman Theatre Gloucestershire). The play takes place in the grounds of the Cathedral of the Forest and you take a picnic to enjoy whilst you watch. Tickets are now available through the box office.
If none of these have captured your imagination, then July is a great month to head for the river and give canoeing or paddle boarding a go. To combine any of these activities with a stay, visit our stay page to find out more about our rooms & suites.