Staycation
Forest of Dean
Woodland holidays in the UK Whether you’re looking for a secluded escape or an adrenaline-fuelled adventure, reconnect with Mother Nature with a visit to one of the UK’s most enchanting forests. If there’s one thing the UK has no shortage of, it’s unspoilt woodland. Our forests are brimming with beauty and wildlife all year round, making them perfect for nature watching, walking and mountain biking – or for just finding some peace and quiet. Look out for native ponies in the New Forest, walk in Robin Hood’s shoes amidst the ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest, or live out your very own adventure in Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean. With so much of our country carpeted in thick woodland, you’ll be spoilt for choice on which forest to visit first. To get your imagination ticking, here are just three of the UK’s most impressive forests – and what not to miss when you’re there. The New Forest, Hampshire With historical roots reaching as far back as 1079, the New Forest is far from new. Once a royal hunting preserve, it’s now one of the UK’s most visited national parks, home to deer, native ponies and rare birds. Made up of unspoilt woodland, rare heathland and river valleys, there’s more to the New Forest
4
than first meets the eye. Spend a long weekend in a traditional thatched cottage, gaze up at giant sequoias along the ‘Tall Trees Trail’, cycle through quaint villages, and meet the national park’s nosy wild ponies. There are plenty of activities and attractions for families too. The ‘Peppa Pig’ themed Paultons Park is a huge draw for children, while Longdown Activity Farm and the New Forest Wildlife Park are popular spots for animal lovers. The New Forest is also conveniently close to the UK’s glorious south coast. Watch the boats come and go from the harbour town of Lymington, a jumping-off point to the Isle of Wight, or walk along the beach to Hurst Castle from Milford-on-Sea. It’s this combination of woodland and coastline that make the New Forest a true holiday haven. The Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire Step inside JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling’s magical worlds with a trip to Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean. Its mysterious depths supposedly inspired Middle Earth, and key scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were also filmed here. Dean’s history stretches back to medieval times, when it was used as a royal hunting forest. A source of timber for Tudor warships, and later a Victorian hub for iron and coal mining, in 1938 it was promoted
Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts
