The Magic of Sherwood Forest

Forest Holidays offers relaxing weekend & midweek breaks in luxury holiday lodges with hot tubs in prime forest locations. Forest Holidays Park is set in 3000 acres of Forestry Commission land.

The luxury wood cabins are nestled in the forest amongst pine and birch trees.  We had a Silver Birch cabin which was stunning and had a natural and contemporary feel with solid wood furniture and under floor heating. The cabin had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open plan sitting room and kitchen. It provided the perfect living space with huge windows with wonderful views of the forest.  There was an in house entertainment system featuring a wide range of films. Some of the cabins terrace have hot tub’s. At night sitting with a glass of champagne looking at the stars through the trees was a magical experience.

It was great to be in such a tranquil environment surrounded by nature. We went for wonderful walks and saw many different species of butterflies. We also hired bikes for the day and explored some of the bike trails around the forest. There are even archery lessons available for those who wish to become a modern day Robin Hood.

There are various Ranger led activities available and we opted for the night vision experience. Equipped with night vision equipment under the expert guidance of forest Ranger Rachel, we watched fallow deer and searched for bats and owls.

The excellent staff at reception also run the lovely cafe and a grocery store stocking locally sourced products.

This was a truly memorable break, beautiful cabin, woodland glades, wonderful walks and being so close to nature.

An environmentally friendly holiday:

 

Forest Holidays have cabins on Forestry Commission estates in 7 locations in Scotland, Yorkshire Cornwall, Forest of Dean and Sherwood Forest. Forest holiday parks are environmentally friendly. The cabins are constructed from sustainable FEC timber. They  have appropriate insulation and glazing and also incorporate a variety of features such as rainwater harvesting and low energy appliances and light bulbs. Cabin sites leave most of the ground untouched which means they remain a friendly environment for bird’s, animals and plants.

They also have recycling schemes in place, meaning that all visitors’ waste is dealt with in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Recycling schemes vary from site to site, but for example all waste collected at Keldy Cabins is sorted by a company who separate it into type prior to sending recyclable items onto a recycling plant.

 

A Forest Holidays Cabin holiday scores well when it comes to minimising other forms of environmental impact too. No need to concern yourself with the carbon footprint of fuel-guzzling overseas flights and, although many people arrive by car, once on site most will dig out their walking or climbing boots or take to their bikes to get around. Bike hire is also available on site.

 

Measuring the impact on the environment:

Operationally, they have recently joined the GTBS – Green Tourism business scheme. This scheme involves the measurement of our sites over the course of the year on such things as recycling, energy usage, biodiversity and even what produce is stocked in their shops.

The green agenda is supported throughout the company using environmental products and practices across the operation. The Forest Holidays board includes Dr Victoria Edwards, OBE as a non-executive director, who gives guidance and strategy to the company on sustainability and eco-tourism.

Eco-friendly partners:

Forest Holidays is part owned by The Forestry Commission – the Government Department responsible for ensuring the nation’s forests provide sustainable timber, nature conservation and public recreation.

The other co-owner is The Camping and Caravanning Club, which has a 100-year history of respect for the environment and has an active Countryside Care section. Both partners guarantee that Forest Holidays ‘green’ credentials are safeguarded for the future.

There are larger cabins available including one which has its own separate tree house which has a bedroom, bathroom and terrace.The cabins are available all year, including Christmas and New Year.  The prices for a 2 bedroom luxury Silver Birch Cabin for a three night weekend break are from  £265. There is a 15% discount available for half term breaks in October.

 

For details call 08451308223 or visit www.forestholidays.co.uk

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