Forest of Dean?

[scrambledhead]

We meet up with friends during school hols. Half way is Forest of Dean but we've exhausted the Heritage Centre and the Dick Whittington Centre. Does anyone know of anything else in the area? Between us we have 5 children aged 1-8.

We've done Bristol zoo but that was a bit far for me for a day.

Thanks

Clearwell Caves
Puzzle Wood (really magical and Tolkienesque)
Perrygrove Railway (great for kids and right next to Puzzle Wood and Clearwell Caves)

You could do all three easily in a day!

Let me know if you need more ideas. The FOD/Wye Valley is my specialist subject!

Thanks very much. I'll find the websites and take a look.

It's a lovely part of the world.

If it turns wet, you could head to Little Follies in Coleford (very close to the other attractions I've listed), which has great indoor play facilities, and a little baby/toddler section too. There's bowling for the older kids too - and a cafe for adults to recuperate!

Have fun!

Thanks too for the suggestions.

We visited the FOD a few years ago before DS was born so it's handy to have a list of things we can do with him when we go back!

Puzzle Wood is really magical. We expected it to be naff/themed when we first got there but once inside the wood, great!

For the older kids, there's also canoeing at Symonds Yat. It's a really lovely spot, at a bend in the river, which you can view if you walk along the top of the ridge above it. I think the little ones can paddle in the water there too but I'm not sure. Hobnobfanatic?

I don't know any paddling spots in Symonds Yat - I'll have to recheck Chelsea! There's also canoeing at Bishopswood, not far from SY.

Ooh, and there are lots of castles to see - Goodrich Castle or Chepstow Castles are enjoyed by school-age kids...

Or for aged 1O-plus, there's Go Ape...

I should work for the Forest of Dean Tourist Board, shouldn't I?!

Sculpture trail & lovely outdoor play area at Beechenhurst - also cafe not bad too.

They also have organised children's activities at Beechenhurst during school holidays, arts & crafts, nature trails.

We're going on tuesday for a few days. Any more ideas?

if it's wet go to whirlikidz soft play - clean, 60 children max, homemade cakes and super coffee

wye valley aonb - download their leaflet. We did owl pellet dissection recently at the Bird Watch at Brockweir

Gloucester's not far.....there's an indoor climbing centre, the docks.

Oh yes the Sculpture Trail is lovely. Also Simmonds Yat is breathtaking.

Everything Hobnobfanactic said I was about to. Puzzle wood is great and so is clearwell caves although prob will need sling.

Steam railway at Parkend/Lydney?

Link to steam railway

Is FoD really a forest or just an area?
How about New Forest? What's that?

have a look moondog

Its an area that was a forest and now lots of little woods.forests in between settlements.

Beautiful......I'm now homesick!

FoD really is a forest. It's in Gloucestershire on the border with Wales. It's lovely.

Taurus Crafts (Lydney) is quite good - you can get food there and the children can do craft things.

Thanks. It looks nice.Iused to go out with achapfrom that part of the world. I have arealthing about getting to all the parts of UK I have never visited.I travel all over but it's the UK that really interestsme.

There are some other things in the Forest and obviously lots more across Gloucestershire.

a good place to look that is very quick and easy to use is "Out and About in Gloucestershire" www.quoakle.com/gloucestershire/days-out-and-leisure/

Chelsea, pleased to see your expert description of Symonds Yat as 'at a bend in the river'. I described it thus to DD who was mightily underwhelmed, she and DH tool the piss mightily 'ooh, we're going to see a bend in the river...' but loved the canoeing anyway