An autumn break in the Forest of Dean

[Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own]

There’s something magical about the Forest of Dean. Covering more than 110 square kilometres of Gloucestershire, not far from the English-Welsh border, this ancient woodland is only an hour’s drive from major cities such as Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham but it feels like a fairytale world of its own. It’s particularly enchanting at this time of year, and last week Chris and I got to experience it at its seasonal best when we joined a small group of content creators and their partners for an autumnal break at Tudor Farmhouse Hotel.

Owned by Hari and Colin Fell, Tudor Farmhouse is spread across a restored 16th-century building and a cluster of converted barns in the pretty little village of Clearwell. It’s a wonderfully relaxed rural retreat – the kind of place with baskets of blankets waiting by squishy fireside armchairs and wellies to borrow by the door. I’d already stayed at the hotel once before, when I tried out one of its guided foraging breaks and had huge fun roaming the forest in search of mushrooms, berries and herbs. This time around I was excited to sample some of the other activities the staff can arrange, which include wildlife safaris, nature journalling, stargazing, wild food and wellness sessions, spa treatments, craft workshops and more.

After checking into our room (one of 20, all decorated in a boutique country style with exposed stone walls, gnarled beams and soothing Farrow & Ball tones), we joined the others for a walk with local guide Ed Drewitt. He’s an expert on the forest and its inhabitants, and as we wandered he pointed out branches laden with berries and sloes, disturbed earth where wild boar had been rootling for insects and acorns, and all manner of mushrooms. After a stressful few months, I found spending time among the trees nothing short of soul-restoring, and there was a haunting beauty to the twisting trunks, crisp fallen leaves, sprouting ferns and moss-covered rock formations (many of them remnants of the area’s coal-mining past).

Part way along the walk we emerged into an open field to be greeted by a sweeping view over the landscape to the distant mountains of Wales. It was a spectacular sight, the quadruple spires of All Saints Church (affectionately dubbed the ‘Cathedral of the Forest’) soaring above the treetops, a pair of buzzards circling overhead, and wisps of woodsmoke lingering in the air. From there, we wandered back through the village to the hotel, where another treat awaited: a cocktail class with award-winning distillery Silver Circle.

Based just over the border in Wales, Silver Circle produces handcrafted spirits and cocktails, many of which are available to order at Tudor Farmhouse (it also has its own bar and shop). Over the course of a very fun hour, its head bartender Louie introduced us to the basics of cocktail-making and had us mixing and shaking various concoctions. My favourites were an Espresso Martini with a hint of coconut, and an intriguing aquavit-based invention called Lan Y Môr (Welsh for ‘seashore’) with notes of elderflower, kelp, samphire, bonfire toffee and dill.

Slightly fuzzy around the edges from the cocktails, we then took our table for dinner. Tudor Farmhouse has recently appointed a new head chef, Arron Christopher – a Forest of Dean native with a passion for local ingredients. We opted for the tasting menu and enjoyed five wonderful courses, mostly made using produce sourced within a 20-mile radius of the hotel. Everything was delicious, but the highlights for me were cured chalk-stream trout with pickled cucumber, wild venison tartare with crispy allium and elderberries, and a decadent chocolate delice served with cherry compote and sorbet.

We couldn’t resist rounding things off with a cheeseboard, which we shared over a board game by the fire before heading up to our room. We’d been allocated Bantam, one of five suites, which sits beneath lofty rafters in one of the outbuildings. It has a separate bedroom and lounge area, as well as a huge bathroom with a freestanding roll-top tub that I happily wallowed in for ages. We were both struck by how peaceful it was, with barely a sound other than the hooting of a nearby owl gently lulling us to sleep.

The next morning started with coffee in bed, followed by breakfast in the restaurant and another fantastic activity: seasonal wreath-making with Jo Thompson from Wye Valley Flowers. Entering the hotel’s pretty Garden Room, we were presented with an array of naturally dried flowers and foliage and shown how to craft them into everlasting wreaths that can be displayed year after year. I loved getting stuck into making something with my own hands, and it was fascinating to see how everyone translated the same basic materials into their own style – some people going neutral like me, others opting for vibrant colour.

Lunch came next (oozy baked camembert and garlic bread – yum), and then Chris and I took a bit of time to wander around the hotel grounds, which are home to sheep, hens, ducks, vegetable patches and an orchard. There are also plenty of little nooks for sitting back and breathing in the fresh air, including tables by waterlily-studded ponds and lounge chairs hidden beneath the trees.

Sadly check-out time came all too soon, but we didn’t want to drag ourselves back to Bristol quite yet so we decided to embark on a section of the self-guided Forest of Dean and Wye Valley ‘leaf-peeping’ drive. Created by the local tourist board, it takes in 10 locations with stunning autumn foliage and there’s a downloadable PDF showing the route. We stopped at two of them, Cannop Ponds and New Fancy View, heading off on brief strolls to soak up more woodland sights and sounds. Both were already looking gorgeous with a tinge of colour, but give it another week or two and the entire forest will be painted in fiery reds, oranges and golds.

So, if you’re looking to make the most of autumn, let me highly recommend a getaway to the Forest of Dean and Tudor Farmhouse Hotel. I really can’t imagine anywhere better for appreciating all the joys this beautiful time of year has to offer.

Rooms at Tudor Farmhouse Hotel start at £184 per night. There are also two-night ‘Autumn Leaves’ packages including dinner and cocktails, which start at £520. Find out more and book a stay here.

All photography by Abi Dare

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