Can anyone advise on places to go in Herefordshire?

[bodiddly]

We have been offered a beautiful old converted school house to stay in for a week near Ross on Wye in a couple of weeks time. I don't know the area at all and wondered if anyone could recommend anywhere that is good for days out with a 4 year old ds? I know it is quite a cycling/canoeing/bird watching type of area though ds is a little young for some of that! I don't mind a drive to visit places .. probably not much more than an hour or so to be honest. Are we miles from a beach? Please excuse my ignorance - all suggestions gratefully received!

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I think it is some way to the beach.... the roads are quite slow to the Welsh coast (relying on childhood memories here). Weston super mare area in somerset probably the closest beach. Probably a 2 hr drive.

You could visit the wild fowl trust at slimbridge (south of Gloucester)- lots of activities for children there and some lovely flamingoes. (my 4 yr old loved it)

The forest of Dean/Symonds Yat are worth a visit.

You could also go to Malvern for a day and walk on the hills (if you park near British camp the walk to the top of the hill is quite short and there used to be a cafe by the car park selling ice creams)..there is a swimming pool in the winter gardens in Malvern with a wave machine and slide.

Hereford is a pleasant cathedral city. We used to go canoeing on the river wye but your DC would be a bit young for that.

thanks happywomble ... will look those up on the map

anyone else?

They have been doing up the docks in Gloucester which are looking nice now, there were a couple of big tall ships in for repair, and some old trains and cranes, which impressed DS1 who is 4 next month (and there is an outlet shopping type place too) - we were nicely surprised when we visited the other day.

Forest of Dean is fab just for a wander around Symonds Yat or taking a boat trip along the river. There are a couple of steam railways around there too I think - I'm sure there is one in Coleford.

Hehehe my dad used to take us for days out at the cattle market in Hereford!

ooh the boat trip sounds good. I think ds is a bit disappointed he isn't going to be beside the seaside as we were in Cornwall last year!

There are loads and loads of castles in Herefordshire too, Goodrich is one I can think of off the top of my head.

There is a steam railway called Dean Forest railway I think. They sometimes hold "Days out with Thomas" etc.

Goodrich Castle is great - there's also Caldicot not far away.
The National Showcaves of Wales
here are worth a visit
DH who lived in Herefordshire (near Kington, a bit further north) for all his childhood suggests:
Symonds Yat
Tintern abbey/Llandogo - nice restaurant & craft type shops
mappa mundi at Hereford Cathedral, also the Cider Museum (Bulmers)
Elan valley, Devil's Bridge Hay on Wye are all good places if you don't mind a long drive -DH & his family used to drive to Aberystwyth/Borth for the beach, but it's a long way.

thank you all ... I think it would be easier if he were a couple of years older - a beach is always a sure thing for entertaining a 4 year old so we may make the journey on one of the days!

bodiddly today I have been here with ds who is 2.8
www.dickwhittington.info/

and it was nice - animals, much soft play, walks.

Not too far from Ross and a good option if it is a wet day. Another one, a bit further, but much bigger and better on a nice day, with a huge wooden castle is this one
www.cattlecountry.co.uk/

There is also this birds of prey place in Newent
www.icbp.org/
I haven't been but it is very popular.

Def go to the Forest of Dean, you can hire bikes and there are miles of safe easy trails to follow.
www.zen95975.zen.co.uk/findus.html

Hope you have a lovely time.

Eastnor Castle near Ledbury

Cheltenham is rather naice

You can walk along the river from Symonds Yat

Ross on Wye is quite nice too, so is Monmouth

Westons Cider in Much Marcle has some animals to see and is rather lovely

We stayed near Hay-on-Wye a couple of weeks ago and had a lovely holiday.

Dh took dcs on canoeing trips a couple of times while I looked round the book shops, but mostly we just walked and relaxed and visited castles and waterfalls and things.

I heard the bird of prey centre was quite good but I can't remember the village. There were lots of theme park/farm day leaflets in our barn but we didn't want to drive too far really. The flea market in Abergavenny was good and Ross-on-Wye is nice too.

I second Goodrich castle, and lots of the smaller ones. The Brecon steam train was very popular with all of them too. You could ask the tourist office to send a seletion of attractions before you go if you're worried about the weather too.

forest of dean ( bike rides , adventure playground/ speech house sculpture trail) , symonds yat - lovely pub called saracen's head and a little boat you can get over the river to the other side, if it is wet you can get to tecniquest in cardiff in about 1 hr, we go from ross to the beach at barry island in about an hr too. queenswood country park north of hereford ( just keep following the A49 ) has a fab cafe and adventure playground. west midlands safari park about 45 mins , cadbury world about the same, in ross itself there is a nice pub down by hte river and a good play area with smallish set of swings/slides , you can feed the ducks , ride a bike/scooter there as flat paths. canoeing good aswell.

Generally OUTTA there.
god its an Odd place, lots of real poverty, pretty hills and sod all to do.

Hay on Wye is overrated weidry beardy capital of the world. You have to drive MILES to get to anything. i think its a bleak place.

( but kids like Quackers) no webiste it seems

Shortwood farm is fab - nice and personal so the children really get a lot of hands on time.

The Birds of Prey/miniature animal centre is lovely, but in the middle of no where

My DS likes caves - loads in the Forest of Dean

you lot have interesting interpretations of where Herefordhsire is!
cheltenham?

Eastnor Castle nr. Ledbury -check the website as they quite often have events going on there (battle re-enactments, Fun Days) as well as the straightforward castle opendays (also close to the Malvern Hills so you could go walking there too)

Shortwood Farm -a working organic dairy farm thats open to the public (tractor ride, outdoor play area, animal feeding etc)

CMOT -X'd posts there! We like Shortwood too

well the op is staying in ross-on-wye, it takes me 30 mins from there to centre of cheltenham in morning peak time

Eugene -your DH is from the wilds of Herefordshire isn't he?
(although I might be wrong and way off the mark -if so, sorry, wrong person)

Yes and god its a shit hole.
The nearest marks is 25 miles away, hereford is rammed full of tattoo shops and poudn shops
and horrible.

countryside is pretty though

Glad someone else is a fan Norbert - I love that it's so uncommercial. And the tractor ride is the best one around

oooh a little harsh about hereford , i canno think of 1 tattoo shop, we have monsoon, fat face, white stuff, starbucks , costa coffeee, cannot htink of any tatoo shops ...