A visit to Forest Holidays is all about finding a little sanctuary deep in the forest. A place to relax and recharge your batteries, but also to reconnect with nature and rediscover your place in the natural world. So for the next stop in my tour of the best of South West of England sustainable tourism, I headed to the most northerly county in the region for a forest holiday in the Forest of Dean…
Forest Holidays offer luxury cabin and tree-house escapes at nine locations around the UK, including the Forest of Dean (England’s first national park, designated in 1938).
This is a beautiful part of the region and to this day, the forest is managed as a working forest and teeming with wildlife, including three species of deer and the elusive wild boar.
As you arrive at the Forest Holiday’s site you are struck by the peace and tranquility. The only audible sounds are the sounds of the forest; birds singing, squirrels scampering and the wind blowing through the leaves in the forest canopy. I knew I would feel at home here.
Set on the edge of the forest, the 120 cabins are scattered around the site in a way that is both sympathetic to the natural environment and ensures you have peace and privacy during your stay.
The facilities on site are excellent. As I walked to my cabin, I passed a cycle hire service, a canoe store and a large ‘bug hotel’. I stopped to read the environmental policy posted on a noticeboard and chuckled as I passed a ‘warning – wild boar’ sign on a gate. You don’t see that everywhere!
Respect for the natural environment is a central value at Forest Holidays. The cabins and tree houses are designed, built and managed with the environment in mind, and to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding forest.
The design of each site is dictated by the local sensitivities and balance of the forest ecosystem, and the cabins are built to high environmental standards.
The aim is to gently blend the cabins and infrastructure into the forest, retaining and enhancing the woodland, its wildlife and habitats. Native species of trees are planted around the cabins, extending the forest, and there are bird and bat boxes, habitat piles and coppiced-hazel to encourage dormice.
Forest Holidays is part-owned by the Forestry Commission, generating £2 million per year in revenue, which helps keep the forests in public ownership and maintain public access to them.
The cabins themselves are spacious and comfortable. My ‘Golden Meadow Cabin’ would sleep six with an en suite double and two twin rooms, plus a bathroom, sitting room and well-equipped kitchen.
Outside, a private wooden decked area with table and chairs, a barbecue and a hot tub, provided a wonderful space to relax and listen to the sounds of the forest. The hot tub was a particularly welcome treat!
The cabins are warm and energy efficient, with underfloor heating and a small wood burner. They are well-insulated and have double-glazing as well as low energy appliances and lighting. This is simple sustainable luxury, situated on the edge of some stunning ancient woodland.
Apart from exploring the forest on foot, there is so much to do here, from cycling, canoeing and archery, to in-cabin spa treatments, or learning bush-craft skills.
A night vision walk with resident Forest Ranger Gerry is a great way to experience the forest, especially if you are a wildlife enthusiast.
As we stumbled through the forest we could hear the sounds of owls coming from the darkness. Our night vision scopes picked out roosting birds and a herd of fallow deer, their eyes illuminated as they peered in our direction. The bat detector occasional ticked into life but we didn’t spot any bats or wild boar on this occasion.
Each Forest Holidays site has a resident ranger. Daily tasks include escorting visitors on twilight and night vision wildlife walks, teaching bush skills and trying to inspire a new generation of wildlife guardians.
Gerry is often accompanied on his walks by The Professor, a captive-bred barn owl, who works with Gerry to raise awareness about conservation. He was a beautiful well-mannered bird, who seemed to genuinely enjoy human contact.
On a daytime walk, Gerry also showed us how to build a fire and make pine needle tea, whilst telling a tale about a female wild boar who gave birth under one of the cabins. The cabin had to be closed to the public for a few days to allow the boar to nurse her babies in peace before she returned to the forest.
With a small handful of dog friendly cabins, activities for all ages, spa treatments, a café (The Forest Retreat) and a shop, there is something for everyone on site. Forest Holidays have managed to achieve one of those rare things, a place which is heaven for both families and grown-ups looking to get away from it all.
I really enjoyed my stay with Forest Holidays. It challenged all of my preconceptions about British holiday camps and offers a relaxing and sustainable alternative to an overseas holiday. The thoughtful, simple luxury of the cabins, combined with the colours and smells of the forest, and shady woodland walks, guarantee a restful stay. I would definitely go again!
Forest Holidays Fact File
With Forest Holidays you can escape to one of nine stunning locations around the UK, including the Forest of Dean, and stay in luxurious woodland cabins or treehouses; many with private outdoor hot tubs. Options available include three-night weekend breaks, four-night midweek breaks, seven-day and ten-day stays.
For more information about the surrounding area, check out Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Tourism.
I was hosted by Forest Holidays during my visit, but as always my review is open and honest, and all opinions are entirely my own.
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