Tom's trip to The Forest of Dean

Due to my wife being heavily pregnant, we decided to stick the UK for our annual weekend-breakaway. We opted for somewhere relaxing, chilled and away from all the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities. The Forest of Dean was the perfect choice!

We found a quaint one-bedroom lodge to sleep in which had views looking over fields for as far as the eye could see. Most of things to-do in the area involve being outside so we were banking on nice weather – we travelled in early October and got lucky, there were patches of rain but on the whole, it was dry and relatively mild.

The attraction that wowed us the most was a place called Puzzlewood. Despite not knowing it, most people will have seen it as it’s regularly on TV and is rumoured to have been the inspiration for Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings – it’s not hard to see why either! If you like walking, another fun thing to do is the Sculpture Trail – a collection of sculptures (some temporary, some permanent) located within the Forest of Dean itself – there are various different routes to take – all equally picturesque with the shortest route being about 2 miles and the longest being around 8 miles.

We also visited Clearwell Caves and this was a bit disappointing – it was a very small attraction and there really wasn’t much to see of do – I’d suggest steering clear of this one.

Food and Drink wise, we opted for local pubs – there are lots of them and they all serve home-cooked food. Every menu was different but every dish was scrumptious – a tasty change when compared to the typical restaurant chains we’re used to. Beyond the pubs there isn’t really much of a nightlife so only visit if you’re looking for a more relaxing trip!

The Forest of Dean won’t be for everyone but if you’re looking to escape the busy cities and re-charge the batteries with a hefty dose of the great outdoors then this is the place for you!

written by Tom Bullen

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