Spring into Spring with a trip to the Forest of Dean

With a few bank holidays coming up, and the clocks finally going forward, we will hopefully have some nicer weather to look forward to. With this in mind, you might start thinking about getting outdoors again, blowing out the cobwebs and enjoying the fresh air after a long cold winter indoors. After all the snow and ice we have had this year Spring will be a very welcome treat! There aren’t many places better than the magnificent Forest of Dean for getting out and about.

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Newent Daffodils – Newent is famous for it’s beautiful display of daffodils, and what better way to welcome in the Spring than to go and see them in all of their glory. There are many places around Newent that you can visit to walk through the spectacular flowers that sweep through the countryside at this time of the year, including Kempley, Dymock and Oxenhall, and it is a sight that you will never forget. If you time it right, the local parishes even put on daffodil teas for visitors building up a thirst from their daffodil walks!

Ghost Hunting in Littledean – An area that has as much history as the Forest of Dean unsurprisingly full of things that go bump in the night – and in the day too if visitors to the infamous Littledean Hall are to be believed. One of the most haunted places in the country, Littledean Hall is said to be home to several spooky residents, and if you are brave enough it is well worth a visit. Some people report that the atmosphere on the staircase alone is so terrifying they cannot stand it.

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Coleford and Speech House – Home to one of the most beautiful hotel wedding venues in Gloucestershire http://www.thespeechhouse.co.uk/weddings/ , Speech House and Coleford are a great place to visit if you are new to the Forest of Dean. Not only great for weddings, you will find the enchanting Puzzle Wood on your doorstep – the place that is said to have inspired Tolkein when he wrote about Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling when she wrote about the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter. You will also love a visit to the Sculpture Trail where you can enjoy a woodland walk amongst some beautiful artwork, and there are many great cycle paths in the area for enthusiastic cyclists who will enjoy the beautiful surroundings of this ancient forest.