Things to do in the Forest of Dean

We stayed at Forest Holidays in a log cabin with hot tub as our base for our trip to the Forest of Dean. The cabin was based in the west of Gloucestershire and only a 5 minute drive into Wales! There are plenty of things to do in the Forest of Dean which are detailed in this blog post.

Forest of Dean

Puzzlewood Forest

Puzzlewood Forest is well worth a visit as it is like stepping into an enchanted world! It is rumoured that JRR Tolkien was inspired by Puzzlewood in his books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It has also been featured in the Star Wars and The Secret Garden films.

The forest is a mile and a half of narrow pathways and steps so take good footwear. Expect to walk for around 1-1.5 hours with photo stops. Entrance is ￡9.50 and also includes access to a small farm and a play area with ride on tractors.

Perrygrove Railway

Perrygrove Railway offers unlimited train rides, treetop adventures and indoor fun. The train journey to the outdoor play area and Warren adventure is around 10 minutes. The woodland play area is a little tired and could do with sprucing up.

Near the entrance area is the Treetop Adventure which has houses, ladders, slides and a bouncy bridge to climb. There is also an indoor area in the miniature Twilight Village which was pretty cool. Our daughter was under 2 so free of charge. 2 x adult tickets were ￡20 which was reasonable.

Symonds Yat Rock

Parking at Symonds Yat car park gives you easy access to walks of varying lengths. The stunning view below over the River Wye is from the shortest walk which was only 5 minutes from the car park. One of the trails leads to views of the Sex Education house!

Nearby Symonds Yat Rock is The Sacarens Head Inn, situated by the river with a large outdoor area. Parking is quite limited near the pub and costs ￡5 but can be refunded if you dine there.

Another gastro pub nearby we loved was The Miner’s Sling. The Tomahawk was absolutely succulent and the service was friendly.

Biblins Rope Bridge

The Biblins rope bridge crosses over the River Wye. As it is narrow and the bridge swings, only 6 people can pass in one go. We parked at Lords Wood car park and walked to the bridge via Biblins Youth Campsite (around 20-25 minutes). Walking to Biblins from Symonds Yat East downstream is another option.

Wales

The Kymin (15 mins from Forest of Dean)

The Kymin is a National Trust area with over nine acres of grounds and beautiful views of Monmouth, Wye Valley and as far as the Brecon Beacons. Entrance is free. There are forests to explore at the back of the house (now a holiday home).

Monmouth (15 mins from Forest of Dean)

Monmouth is a Welsh town situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, just two miles from the Wales–England border. Monnow Bridge at the entrance to Monmouth is the only remaining fortified river bridge in Great Britain with its gate tower standing on the bridge.

Valeries Tea Room is a great spot for afternoon tea, cake and scones followed by drinks at The Punch House.

Abergavenny (30 minutes from the Forest of Dean)

Abergavenny is a market town known as the gateway to Wales. There is a castle in the town which is free to visit and open from 11am to 4pm every day.

Close by is Linda Vista Gardens which will have beautiful flowers in the spring time. Castle meadows is next door where you can walk around the countryside.

We dined at Grofield which has an outdoor areas and offers good food at affordable prices. The hoisin pork belly bites were fantastic.

Near Abergavenny are the ‘Three Castles’ – Grosmont, Skenfrith and Whitecastle, which were built to control the border. Best of all, they are all free to visit.

Whitecastle still has its drawbridge and is surrounded by a moat with views of the countryside.

Blorenge (35 minutes from the Forest of Dean)

There are various walks to the summit of Blorenge where you can see stunning views of the Black Mountains, Central Beacons and the Severn Estuary. If you just want a short walk, you can start at Keepers Pond Car Park or Fox Hunters Car Park which is already pretty high up! Approximately a 4 mile round trip will take you to the summit.

If you are looking for a longer, tougher route then climb Sugar Loaf or Skirrid which are within a hour’s drive of Forest of Dean. If you are willing to drive 1-1.5 hours, there are beautiful waterfalls within Breaon Beacons National Park or you can climb Pen Y Fan.