Excellent food and a roaring fire.

Distance: 7 minute drive.

 

A local country pub.

Distance: 10-minute walk.

 

Find fine food and great wine selection

Distance: 10-minute drive

 

Real ales and riverside views.

Distance: 10 minute drive.

Head out beyond the forest and discover what the Forest of Dean has to offer.

 

 

A 20 minute drive away.

 

Explore five acres, including a museum, reconstructed cottage and workshops.

Distance: 20 minute drive

 

Ride a vintage steam train

Distance: 8 minute drive.

The short, dog-friendly walk up May Hill in Gloucestershire is half an hour’s drive from your cabin. Straddling the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, May Hill is a famous local landmark, unmissable for miles around. It’s a short, exhilarating climb and the views from the clump of pine trees at the top is what make it worth all the effort. On a clear day, you can see the River Severn, the Forest of Dean, the Cotswold Hills to the east and the Welsh hills to the West.

 

 

Slightly further afield, this 12km Tintern Abbey, Devil's Pulpit and Brockweir circular walk takes in the glorious view of the Tintern Abbey ruins from the Devil’s Pulpit viewpoint. It meanders through Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire and includes a section of the Offa’s Dyke National Trail.

 

 

Try this local walk, which offers spectacular views of the River Wye and takes you through three counties and two countries! At just under 20km it’s the perfect longer walk to explore the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley.

 

 

King Arthur’s Cave and the Seven Sisters is a moderate 5.6km walk. The children will love exploring the cave, climbing the rope ladder and walking between the rock walls, and you will love the views across the valley from the hill fort.

 

 

The magnificent River Wye can be reached at two spots. The quickest route is 3.8km through the woods, but it is worth taking the slightly longer route to Symonds Yat Rock for the stunning views and the chance to see the nesting peregrine falcons on the cliff face. An 8.5km loop takes in both spots and the lovely thing about all these walks is that they are completely within the forest, so there are no roads to negotiate.

 

 

This short, circular walking trail follows paths through the Iron Age fort and into the woodland. Pass through the remains of the ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort built around 2,500 years ago. The ramparts defended the southern side of the fort, while the other two sides were protected by the steep cliffs of the Wye Gorge.

Soak up some local atmosphere and feel closer to nature along The Peregrine Path. It goes from Monmouth to Goodrich and takes in castles, ancient towns, the River Wye, King Arthur’s Cave and nesting peregrine falcons.

 

 

The Three Rivers circular route connects Hereford, Ross on Wye, Monmouth and Hay on Wye. The National Cycle Network route 42 is another stretch, which takes in countryside between Hay on Wye and Chepstow.

 

 

Take on the ‘Iron Chicken and ‘Blue String Pudding’ before the final thrilling descent or test your skills along The Freeminer Trail. This route is ideal for experienced cyclists with technical challenges, hairpin bends, switchback climbs and varied single-track. Our tip? Look out for a few surprises. The volunteers who maintain these trails are constantly upgrading the various stretches so there’s always something new to conquer.

 

 

Known as one of the best blue-graded trails in the country, the Verderers Trail is an exciting and adventurous ride. There are plenty of features and surface types along the trail to help hone your skills. There's a gentle uphill climb through the forest with some tricky challenges along the way. And the final descent, known as the Dragon's Tail, is a fast, thrilling finish.

Bring your furry friend on an adventure and explore one of the many forest trails, where acres of woodland and country roads make a great spot for a scamper.

 

 

This is a beautiful circular art trail starting from Forestry England's Beechenhurts cafe, taking you through the forest to spot different contemporary sculptures along the way.

 

 

Follow this circular woodland route, starting from Speech House, with dense plantations of coniferous and deciduous trees and thick carpets of moss and woodland flowers below. From the car park, head through the gate into the Cyril Hart Arboretum, then through a second gate into the forest.

 

 

Head a little further out to this beautiful trail around Woorgreens, a 42-hectare nature reserve covering heathland, marshland, woodland, and lakes. This area used to be an open cast mine and now provides a home to a variety of wildlife and plenty of birdlife.

Take a trip through the trees, full of adventure! Save 10% on your Go Ape experience when you stay with us, including on Saturdays.

 

Look out for our emails with offers and activities to book before your stay – they'll include your unique discount code. Beechenhurst is your nearest Go Ape, where you can experience:

 

Go Ape Forest Segway | from £34.50

Go Ape Tree Top Adventure | from £18

Go Ape Tree Top Adventure Plus | from £22.50

Go Ape Tree Top Challenge | from £29.70

Meet some of our forest friends up close with incredible experiences nearby to the forest. Why not try...

• Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo (13-minute drive)
• Briery Hill Llamas (28-minute drive)
• Wildlife Safari (11-minute drive)

You can pre-book these activities with us! Just speak to the team at the Forest Retreat when you're here.