Weekend Away in the Forest of Dean – Review of Whitemead Forest Park & Days Out
Summary
We visited the Forest of Dean for a weekend in July 2024 as a family of four (two adults, two children age 5 and 3). We were invited by Boundless to stay at Whitemead Forest Park (#ad). You can save up to 20% on accommodation if you are a member, but anyone can book. If you are looking for an easy family holiday/weekend away close to Bristol this might suit you. It is less than an hour’s drive north of Bristol to the Forest of Dean. We were impressed with our accommodation (lots of options) and the park had lots to do: indoor pool, entertainment including mini disco, adventure golf, play areas & other activities. It is a great base for several day trips in the Forest of Dean. We went for the weekend but wished we had gone for longer! Read more about Whitemead Forest Park, Boundless Membership, and Day Trips in the Forest of Dean below.
Whitemead Holiday Park
Accommodation
Whitemead Forest Park has a variety of accommodation options. Choose from apartments, cabins and bungalows – some with hot tubs, glamping pods and touring pitches (tents/caravans/campervans). There is something for everyone! The site felt spacious and green. Our accommodation was close to the main restaurant/pool/entertainment, whereas some accommodation was further away. However, it is not a huge site so even the furthest accommodation is not a long walk.
We stayed in a two-bedroom dog-friendly apartment which was modern, spacious and immaculate. It had a sunny terrace with tables and chairs overlooking the play area which was perfect for us! It had everything we needed including TVs which were great for watching the Euros Final!
Accommodation prices vary per type and are there are a number of length stays available. Some accommodation is pet friendly. Save up to 20% on stays with Boundless Membership.
Facilities & Entertainment
Foresters Bar and Terrace
The Foresters Bar and Terrace serves food all day. It is a modern bar/restaurant with well-designed interiors and we enjoyed our food here. The terrace area is spacious and a great place to relax with a drink. It overlooks one of the play areas, table tennis and a big field which is convenient if your children are old enough to play with you watching from a distance. There is a kiosk on the terrace open at certain times serving drinks and waffles. You can also order takeaway from Foresters!
Swimming Pool & Gym
There is a good-sized indoor swimming pool with a shallow kids pool, two jacuzzis, a sauna and steam room. It is open 8am-8pm, with the first and last hour of the day adults only. There are specific water activities you can book for kids – see the entertainment programme when you visit. Next to it you will find a gym with various exercise equipment i.e. machines, free weights within.
Evening Entertainment
The evening entertainment varies depending on whether you go in peak or off-peak season. You will be given a programme on arrival or you can check this on the Whitemead website. Even in off-peak season they have a mini-disco, bingo and a quiz on certain nights. For our visit in July, the Saturday evening had a mini disco, music bingo, adult bingo, a main entertainment act; and a quiz on the Sunday evening. There is entertainment on every night during school holidays. We went to the mini disco and music bingo and these were both great! The Sammy the Squirrel mascot comes out during the mini disco and you can get your photo taken with him. This is in a hall with a stage, plenty of seating and has its own bar. It adjoins the Foresters Bar/Restaurant.
Adventure Golf
We love adventure golf and this was a great little outdoor course. It is in quite a compact area, but there were loads of holes to play, animal sculptures, water and a bridge where you pull yourself over the water with a pulley system. We definitely recommend it. Our kids enjoyed running around whilst my partner and I played a proper game!
Activities
You can book onto a variety of family activities at an additional cost including Archery (Age 7+), Teddy Bear Making (Age 2+), Football Skills, Crafts, Water Activities and more! There is also a Free Nature Trail, and a Treasure Hunt (£6) which you can do at your leisure.
Play Areas, Field & Table Tennis
There are two children’s play areas, a table tennis area and a big field that is overlooked from the terrace perfect for rounders and other ball games.
Shop
There is a small shop with all the essentials behind the main reception desk.
Boundless Membership
Boundless is the UK’s leading membership club for people working in or retired from the civil service or public sector. I became a member before working with Boundless, mainly for access to WWT Slimbridge! The membership is £40 per year and you can take an additional adult and up to six children to any WWT unlimited times (take ID with you).
You can get up to 20% off Boundless Breaks at Whitemead Forest Park, holiday cottages in the Cotswolds and West Cliff Hotel in Bournemouth. There are a variety of benefits, which you can preview on their website. The Member Days are also great, which include discounted entry to attractions such as Warwick Castle and the Festival of Light at Longleat. These are subject to availability and vary each year. If you or your partner work in the civil service or public sector I would recommend joining. If you do join please consider using my referral link.
Day Trips in the Forest of Dean
There are some great days out in the Forest of Dean. These are very close to Whitemead Forest Park, but also doable as day trips from Bristol.
Family Bike Ride – Colliers Trail
📍 Cannop Valley, New Rd, Coleford, GL16 7EH
We were invited to go for a family cycle ride with Pedal A Bike Away. We did the family Colliers trail which is 14.5km (9 miles) through the forest and past two lakes. It is a lovely scenic trail. Collect your bikes at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, get trail map and follow it clockwise. It is relatively flat but some uphill and downhill parts. There is a cafe on a slight detour at Mallards Pike which is a good place for lunch with a cafe, toilets and lake with ducks and geese (also Go Ape!). 🦆 Cannop Ponds is also a lovely spot to stop. The trail is dog friendly so our dog had the time of his life! 🐶 It took us around 3.5 hours with lunch.
⏰ Open 7 days a week! Various bikes available including e-bikes and trailers. Cafe & toilets available at the Cycle Centre as well as Mallards Pike! See more photos of our bike ride
Perrygrove Railway
Ride on miniature trains (steam and diesel) where you can either do a round trip or get off at two other stations. There are two play areas – one is particularly amazing up in the tree tops and accessible even for buggies! Play in a tunnel maze and walk in the woodland. Dog friendly. Cafe with baguettes, tea cakes, hot drinks, lunch boxes, cakes. Toilets and baby change. See our reel from our last visit.
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is brought to you by Forestry England. It is free to do but £1 for a trail map and there is pay and display parking. The Sculpture Trail starts at Beechenhurst which also has a play area, cafe, toilets and go ape. The trail has 18 sculptures and is approximately 7.7km/4.8 miles and will take 2-3 hours. See the digital map here
Puzzlewood
Magical ancient woodland which has been a popular filming location for film and TV including Star Wars. Not dog friendly. Check opening time and admission costs here.
Dean Heritage Centre
Gruffalo trail, museum, woodland play area and cafe. More information
Clearwell Caves
Explore a natural cave system – self-guided tours with 10 caverns and winding passages. Need to pre-book tickets
Map
Thanks for Reading!
Read more about Whitemead Forest Park here and Boundless Membership here. Check out our other holiday reviews in the Family Travel section of our website. We are most active on Instagram should you be interested in Days Out and What’s On for Families in the Bristol area, as well as future family holidays!
– Rose
