Gav Grayston
I have heard about Camping in the Forest and the Bracelands campsite but have never been.
Now I did have the vision of our tent nestling among the trees at Bracelands but that turned out not to be the case.
That’s not to say that the campsite wasn’t good, far from it, nor that there wasn’t a forest, in fact there was a huge forest: The Forest of Dean, which is an Outstanding Area of Natural Beauty.
Bracelands is in the middle of a huge wooded landscape.in the middle of a huge wooded landscape
The campsite itself is quite large with a number of hard standing pitches and plenty of grass pitches, both with EHU and without.
Being such a large site there are a number of toilet and shower blocks conveniently placed around the site.
Pitches can be slightly sloping. You aren’t allocated a pitch number so you can look around and find one that suits you.
Where you pitch your tent is marked out to keep a safe distance between tents.
Campfires are not allowed, but BBQs are, as long as they are raised off the ground.
Showers are free.
These are operated by a simple ‘touch’ button, which made it easy for young kids to operate (which makes a nice change!).made it easy for young kids
There was also a family toilet and shower room, making it a lot easier if you have young kids.
Oh, did I mention you are in the middle of the Forest of Dean?
Around the campsite are gates where you can access the forest. And on each gate is a warning about wild boars that roam the forest!wild boars that roam the forest
A Walk to Symonds Yat Rock
A must do is a walk from the campsite to Symonds Yat Rock.
Symonds Yat Rock towers above the River Wye, standing tall over a beautiful landscape.
It’s also home to Peregrine Falcons, the fastest animal on the planet.the fastest animal on the planet
On our walk to Symonds Yat Rock we heard the cries of a bird of prey above us. We looked up and saw a Peregrine Falcon go into its super fast dive.
It went from flying gracefully to dive bombing like it had rocket engines.saw a Peregrine Falcon go into its super fast dive
In the end, one Peregrine Falcon came home with us 😉
The walk from the campsite takes a while but is not difficult or particularly hilly, and is well sign posted.
There were information panels about the different butterflies that visit the forest.
We found a bush full of different butterflies. We named this the ‘butterfly bush’.We named this the ‘butterfly bush’
When you get to Symonds Yat Rock there’s a Forestry Commission cafe.
A good place to fuel up after your walk 🙂
We’ve now down the walk twice. Once directly there and back; another on a circular route by the River Wye.
Click here for details of the circular walk to Symonds Yat.
Forest Holidays at Bracelands
If camping is not your thing, there’s also Forest Holidays at Bracelands where you can stay in a wooden lodge instead.
These looked very nice.
At Forest Holidays is a larger shop and a cafe.
This is just a short walk from the entrance to Bracelands Camping in the Forest. So if you’ve forgotten something or want a quick bite to eat, this is within easy reach.
You can even park your dog 🙂You can even park your dog
We had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend camping at Bracelands. It gets the thumbs up from us and is on the list for a return visit.a thoroughly enjoyable weekend camping
- Tents
- Caravans
- Motor Homes
- Showers
- Wash-up
- Pets Allowed
- Electric Hook-up
- Chemical Disposal
- Laundrette
Getting in Touch with Bracelands Campsite
Here's how you can get in contact with Bracelands Campsite.
024 7798 6991
Where to find Bracelands Campsite
Latitude: 51.8145561, Longitude: -2.6378820
Warning: Do not take any road for The Forest of Dean or Symonds Yat before reaching Monmouth as they are unsuitable for large vehicles.
Bracelands Campsite, Forest of Dean Bracelands Drive Coleford GL16 7NP.
Show on Google Maps Show on OS MapsOther Places Nearby
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“Warning: Do not take any road for The Forest of Dean or Symonds Yat before reaching Monmouth as they are unsuitable for large vehicles.”
Surely that depends very much on which direction you are coming from … 🙂
Very true 🙂