Love the Cotswolds but looking for something a little different? Explore England’s oldest oak forest, paired with fantastic food. Here’s the best things to do in the Forest of Dean with kids.
Why the Forest of Dean?
I don’t know why but England’s Forest of Dean never shouted out at me as a place for a luxurious weekend away. In fact, inexplicably, I’d never noticed it at all.
Perhaps it’s because its name is so straightforward. Forest of Dean. Must be a forest. Perhaps of a guy called Dean.
No mystery. No puzzle. And, well, forests are nice enough but England (and Wales) have plenty of them. Time to explore it another day.
Except, as it turns out, the Forest of Dean isn’t any old forest.
Disclosure: We stayed at the Tudor Farmhouse Hotel and visited Puzzlewood on a complimentary basis for review purposes but all thoughts, opinions and experiences remain my own. As ever, as always.
England’s Oldest Oak Forest
The Forest of Dean was designated England’s first National Forest Park in 1938 and is the country’s oldest oak forest. In Britain’s bygone days, it was used as royal hunting ground and a centre for iron and coal mining.
But more striking than that. The Forest of Dean is not even really one forest. It’s an area of natural beauty that spreads over 42 square miles, with towering rocks, gorges, tranquil lakes and plenty upon plenty of varied things to do.
Tucked away in that curious intersection between England and Wales, the Forest of Dean has three standout features.
The Landscape
All towering forests, cool walkways and magnificent, wild views.
The Food
Authentic as it comes with smoked Severn salmon and eel, ethical bakeries and daring twists on classics.
A Luxury Bolthole
We stayed at the gorgeous Tudor Farmhouse:.This places manages to combine both treats and comfort with a secluded rural feel.
We first visited the ancient canopy of the Forest of Dean when our daughter was a toddler needing stroller-friendly paths. Returning years later with an older child, we unlocked an entirely new world of adventure – proving this region grows with your family.
But enough chat. Let’s talk about the things to do with kids in the Forest of Dean.
Magical Things to Do in the Forest of Dean with Kids
Clearwell itself doesn’t have too much going on but there are some amazing activities in the Forest of Dean nearby for foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, families and couples on a short trip away from London.
Here’s what we found to be unmissably beautiful (or tasty) during our time in the Forest of Dean.
Puzzlewood
If you’ve ever wondered how special effects departments manage to make TV and film forests look so eery or mystical, Puzzlewood has the answer.
There are no special effects. They simply film in Puzzlewood.
It’s almost impossible to describe from afar how some slippery tree roots and stubborn green moss create such a captivating, ethereal world but Puzzlewood pulls it off with panache.
Like any self-respecting attraction these days, it also includes petting zoos, children’s playgrounds, and a café.
But don’t get too sidetracked by all of that. Walk, climb and slither into the mystical wood. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
Side Note: They’re quite unusual in that they don’t allow pushchairs in the grounds at all. It would be impossible to use them in the puzzle wood itself but the grounds are quite flat and large with plenty of other things to do. Pack a rucksack if you plan to make a day of it with small children to avoid the procession of parents travelling back and forth to the car, balancing wet wipes, snacks and toddlers on every available limb.
The Dean Heritage Centre
The drive from Clearwell alone makes the Dean Heritage Centre worth visiting. Especially if you get lost, as I did.
Towering rock faces, frothing and foaming streams. Reservoirs. Twisting roads. Leafy overhangs. It’s countryside driving at its most dramatic.
The heritage centre itself blends into the drama, arranging its historical exhibitions amid five acres of landscape, including woodland trails and a creative wooden playground.
A Gruffalo trail provides a bit of extra interest for young children, while a water wheel, Victorian cottage and charcoal burners camp provide the window into the past.
You can easily spend a full half day here with younger children, but there’s less for older ones.
The Longhope Forest Bakehouse
Forget chintz and china, The Forest Bakehouse in Longhope is as raw as it comes and its bread and pastries taste all the better for it. As a community cooperative, it uses only organic, locally milled flour and when you visit, you can see staff stretch, pummel and play with the dough right within the warehouse style open plan cafe.
Taste sourdough and sesame-topped spelt together croissants made from French butter. Gluten free options exist as well, such as orange or almond polenta and I loved the homemade salads, with generous (and flavoursome) feta and olives.
And don’t get me started on the fig and walnut frangipane tart.
Parking is limited but it’s a great spot to pick up a light lunch or morning pastry, to either eat in or take away. Highchairs are available.
Severn and Wye Smokery
The Severn and Wye Smokery is an award-winning artisan and family run fishmonger that celebrates high quality local produce in the form of a stylish café, restaurant and beautiful food shop.
The ground floor of the beautiful barn houses the fish market, chef’s larder, gift shop and café. The open-plan restaurant and state-of-the-art theatre style kitchen is on the first floor.
RSPB Nagshead
This gorgeous nature reserve is a great spot for enjoying the outdoors. Whether you know your pied flycatchers from your nuthatches and woodpeckers or not, doesn’t really matter. Not to mention, it offers the chance to wear out little legs!
The reserve is scattered with picnic benches and has useful things like baby changing facilities, though no onsite shop or café so you’ll need to bring your own supplies.
Beechenhurst & The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
Run by the Forestry Commission, this site lies in the heart of the Forest of Dean and includes a playground, sculpture trail, high ropes and a climbing tower.
There are four walking trails on offer, including a new Zog activity trail, and an easy access family cycle trail, so whatever age, you’ll find something to do.
For colder days make the most of the onsite café and in the summer take advantage of the BBQ areas.
Wenchford: the Perfect Paddling Spot
Last time we were in the Forest of Dean, there was an almighty heatwave.
Under such conditions, there is only one place to go: Wenchford!
Hidden away near Blakeney, this is the Forest’s ultimate natural playground. Here, the shallow, clear waters of Blackpool Brook trickle over stones and small weirs beneath a canopy of ancient oaks.
It is a wonderfully nostalgic, low-tech slice of family life; while toddlers contentedly splash in the shallows right by the grassy banks, older kids can wade a bit further up the brook, hunting for froglets, skimming stones, and building sticks into makeshift dams.
With plenty of picnic benches scattered along the water’s edge, it is the perfect place to slow right down, unpack a lunch, and let the kids engage in some classic, old-fashioned nature play.
Mallards Pike
Ringed by towering pines and ancient oaks, the glittering waters of Mallards Pike form one of the most picturesque, active hubs in the entire forest.
With younger kids, there’s a flat, pushchair-friendly loop around the lake and a sweet Gruffalo trail where little ones can map-read their way to hidden characters.
For older kids, it’s the region’s premier Go Ape courses. Kids older than ten can take on the heart-pounding Treetop Challenge – a dizzying high-ropes course suspended 15 meters up in the canopy, complete with Tarzan swings and epic zip lines over the valleys.
If they prefer to keep their feet closer to the ground, they can trade harnesses for heavy-duty, all-terrain electric Segways to glide peacefully along the winding, muddy forest tracks in search of wild boar.
It is a spectacular, all-in-one spot where you can easily dial the energy up or down, wrapping up the afternoon with a well-earned artisan cake at the lakeside café.
- Recommended reading: the best things to do in the Lake District with kids
Brockweir Village Shop & Café: A Sustainable Gem
Perched beautifully on the hillside just across the river from Tintern Abbey, the Brockweir and Hewelsfield Village Shop and Café is a brilliant testament to community spirit.
Run almost entirely by local volunteers in a stunning, eco-friendly green oak building, this non-profit hub is the ultimate pitstop to pick up authentic tastes of the Wye Valley.
Inside, you’ll find everything from ultra-local organic sourdough (baked just half a mile down the road) to artisan cheeses, local ciders, and zero-waste refills.
Best yet, there’s a huge, enclosed, grassy play area so that parents can eat and children can run free.
Heartwarming stuff.
Taurus Crafts
Right near Lydney, Taurus Crafts is a visitor centre with a remarkably inspiring heartbeat. Run by the Camphill Village Trust, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism, the site functions as a beautiful, inclusive community hub.
For families travelling with toddlers, it serves as an easy, low-stress pitstop to stretch small legs, offering a gentle outdoor play area and a lovely, homely café serving fantastic local treats.
However, for older kids who have outgrown the playground, the real draw lies inside the independent artisan studios. The centre regularly hosts hands-on, creative workshops ranging from pottery painting and stone carving to jewellery making and mosaic building.
Pair a workshop with a wander through the zero-waste shop and ethical gift shops for a perfect, relaxed rainy-day antidote.
Symonds Yat and the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo
For a change of scene, follow the winding River Wye to Symonds Yat, where the ancient woodland breaks to reveal towering limestone cliffs and sweeping, panoramic river views.
You can canoe or kayak along the water or enter the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo, a magical, sensory stop that spans all ages; stepping inside its tropical hothouse feels like entering another world as hundreds of exotic butterflies flutter freely through the canopy, occasionally landing on your hand.
Find out more about what to do in and around Symonds Yat and Herefordshire here.
Clearwell Caves and Perrygrove Railway
Just down the road from Puzzlewood, you’ll find another couple of core attractions.
For families with older children, Clearwell Caves offers a doorway into the subterranean world. This network of nine massive, ancient iron and ochre caverns lets kids walk 100 feet beneath the forest floor to explore 4,500 years of mining history. Bring sensible shoes!
Right nearby is a setup for younger kids: the Perrygrove Railway. This charming, narrow-gauge heritage steam railway is practically designed for under-tens, featuring unlimited train rides that hop between treetop adventure trails, den-building woods, and a magical indoor “Twilight Village.”
Tintern Abbey
Now, Tintern Abbey is definitely not technically within the Forest of Dean. But it’s only a short while away and en route to Cardiff near Chepstow, and I love it, so here it goes!
Founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks, it eventually became the wealthiest abbey in all of Wales before Henry VIII ruthlessly shut it down during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536.
It then became the birthplace of British tourism, when the Napoleonic wars shut off mainland Europe, the Wye tour began.
You can actually get a good view of this beautiful structure without going in, which is sometimes a blessing with kids to save an expensive entrance fee for a two minute visit!
There’s also a lovely river walk and plenty of atmospheric pubs nearby, too.
Where to Stay: An In Depth Look at the Tudor Farmhouse
With only 20 boutique rooms, carefully arranged, the Tudor Farmhouse brings a deluxe approach to cosy. As a beautifully renovated former 13th-century working farm, the exposed stone walls, low ceilings, and beams feel deeply atmospheric, but with the bright, clean, design-led touches of 21st-century life.
Outside, the idyllic mini-farm of chickens and ducks bring a grounding rural character to the fore. When we first visited years ago, our mini-explorer was content just chasing the ducks, but returning now with an older child, the property has aged gracefully alongside us.
This time, we stepped up our stay by checking into The Nest – one of the hotel’s flagship luxury suites.
The layout features a spacious, separate sitting room complete with a high-end double sofa bed, allowing our daughter her own independent domain without encroaching on the main bedroom.
Clad in crisp 300-count linens, with a magnificent roll-top bath, a deep monsoon shower, and thoughtful touches like fresh homemade shortbread and Bramley bath products, it strikes that elusive, perfect balance between high luxury and home-spun comfort.
Food: A Culinary Oasis
The true heartbeat of the modern Tudor Farmhouse experience, however, is the restaurant. Described by Tatler as a “culinary oasis,” the dining room beautifully echoes the hotel’s style with crackling open fires, bare stone walls and thick green fabric.
The kitchen operates on a strict, passionate 20-mile radius philosophy. Almost every ingredient on the menu is sourced directly from Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire producers, heavily supplemented by seasonal heirloom vegetables, fruits, and herbs plucked straight from the hotel’s own kitchen garden.
Local meats and estate game are cooked to absolute perfection, paired with snazzy garnishes.
Yet it’s still genuinely child friendly, with Baby Lab declaring it the only fancy restaurant she’s ever enjoyed – and breakfast the following morning is equally impressive.
Parking is on site, free and easy and wifi is pretty good for a countryside spot.
The flower-filled courtyard looked perfect for long summer evenings, while the fire-lit lounge and bar welcomed us in autumn. The chalk sign said to wrap up warm by borrowing a blanket and so, of course, we obliged.
For littlies, they provide a travel cot and high chair and milk for overnight.
As owner Hari says, ” We don’t advertise ourselves as family friendly. Because we don’t align with what that usually means. But we are very welcoming and friendly to families.”
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- The best things to do in the Lake District with kids
- Things to do in Hereford as a family
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