Forest Holidays Sherwood Forest – Part 2

As soon as the children broke up for the summer, we headed to Forest Holidays in Sherwood, Nottinghamshire for the week. I did a little ‘live blogging’ when we there, and you can read it here if you wish. Believe me, blogging on the dining room table is not the same as having this gorgeous view when writing.

So what did we think of our first visit to Forest Holidays ? Did it live up to all the wonderful reviews I had read before we went ? Well in a word YES, and this is why we had one of the most relaxing holidays we have ever been on.

The Surroundings

Forest Holidays occupy a small corner of the Sherwood Pines Forest. There are 82 lodges on site, ranging from a 1 bedroom hideaway to the treehouses for up to 10 people. The majority of the lodges seemed well spaced out and private, and we were very lucky with our Golden Oak cabin. We were literally nestled into the forest, and I loved how we could just see an abundance of trees from every window. The surroundings offer so much nature, and whilst we were there we saw birds, squirrels, rabbits, butterflies and even a lizard. The great news is you have even more forest on your doorstep, with Sherwood Pines being a 5 minute walk away. See my post for 10 things to do at Sherwood Pines.

The accommodation

We stayed in a 2 bedroom Golden Oak lodge. I love the anticipation of going into a holiday home for the first time, and as soon as I stepped inside I was blown away. The lodge was spacious, and I loved the little touches such as the ‘Welcome’ on the scrabble board. Our bedroom was at the back of the lodge, complete with en-suite. The kids shared a twin room and there was a further large bathroom. Does anyone else get excited when they realise you have miniature toiletries included ? And the fluffy towels and robe were perfect for wrapping yourself in after a dip in the hot tub.

The main living area was open plan and roomy. The kitchen had a dishwasher and an under the counter fridge with small freezer compartment. Luckily I knew beforehand the fridge was small, so I just packed food for a few days. There is a great co-op in Edwinstowe which is less than 5 minutes drive away. I had paid for the entertainment package before we went, which meant WIFI and a selection of films. We really made use of the package (which was £65) watching around 10 films during our stay. The tween had the occasional moan that the WIFI was not super fast, but hey we were in the forest, what does he expect.

But to be honest who needs WIFI when you have this on the decking. This is where Forest Holiday sets itself apart from other similar holiday companies.  We have been lucky to have stayed in some amazing lodges, but this one will take some beating.

Forest Holiday Activities

During our week my daughter did the pottery painting twice. This was held in the Forest Retreat and could be done anytime it was open. This was great as it meant you didn’t have to plan the activity. The pottery was good value and the ladybird below cost £8.50.  As we were in Sherwood the boys booked in for the archery. It was £20 per adult and £10 per child, for around 1 hour 20 minutes. They both enjoyed the lesson but I don’t think they will be giving Robin Hood a run for his money.

The Forest Retreat also held a quiz on the Saturday and Thursday at 4.30pm priced £1 per person. This was great fun and the best bit……. coming 1st on the Thursday. And boy did I enjoy our winning wine that night. Other activities include Young Explorers, Family Den Building and Hawk Experience. Opposite the Forest Retreat is where you will find the play area, picnic benches, and a great open space which was perfect for games of football.

What else do they offer ?

Fancy a night off from cooking, then you can hire a chef to come to your lodge and cook your meal. If you can’t stretch to the £150 (plus meal costs), then how about ordering a pizza or curry from the comfort of your lodge and having it delivered. We didn’t do this but its great to have the option. Food and drink is also served in the Forest Retreat, and I can highly recommend the milkshakes at £1.70. There is also a small shop selling gifts and food items such as bread and milk.

They also offer in lodge pamper sessions, celebration packages and even doggy deli delights.

 Would we return ?

YES, without a doubt. There was nothing negative about our week long stay, and as I am a ‘holiday perfectionist’ I can sometimes be hard to please. The hot tub was cleaned every morning, the accommodation was one of the best lodges we have stayed in, and the forest was just divine. Having a nearly 13 year old our holidays are changing, and I wondered whether he would be bored. But there were plenty of activities to keep him busy, though I would say the WIFI package is a must. To be honest my 2 were just as happy sitting in the hot tub. We went the first week of the summer holidays, and even though the site was full it never felt crowded or noisy. You have to quieten down after 10pm, and the majority of guests adhered to this. Most nights all you could hear was the bubbling sounds of the hot tub.

Thank you Forest Holidays for a truly relaxing and peaceful week. I received a discount off our week long break and all comments and views are my own.

Griffon Forest – The perfect getaway

On the day of my 40th Birthday I was presented with an envelope from my hubby. Inside it said that I would be going away for 3 days on the 24th January in a ‘forest lodge with hot tub’ location unknown. From that minute I was counting the seconds till the 24th which was a huge 9 days away. My hubby never gave anything away to where we were going, and as we packed the car up last Friday morning, the Sat nav was turned away from me. I am quite surprised he did not lock me in the boot !

After 2 hours heading East we arrived in York and turned into Griffon Forest. Now Griffon Forest is very special to us, as 12 years ago we celebrated hubbys 30th birthday here, and 9 months later our first born arrived into the world (yes you do the maths). I was quite emotional to be back, and I was thrilled to be spending 3 whole days here just me and hubs. Hubby went and checked in and he came back to the car beaming that we had a great location. Now he knows me well enough to know that location is everything to me. He quickly found our lodge, which was at the bottom of a small cul de sac of 3 lodges. I could not wait to get inside and see what the lodge was like.

And oh my goodness, what an amazing lodge !!! We have stayed in many lodges over the years, but this was truly stunning. It was open plan, with a four poster bed with champagne at the bottom of the bed. A huge jacuzzi bath and a walk in shower, and on the large decking the fantastic hot tub which was buddling away. Our lodge was nestled into the forest, and the view was just stunning.

I could not believe we were staying here for a whole 3 days with no kids (thanks to my mum and step dad). I kept walking around the lodge, taking it all in. I quickly unpacked, and we headed to the hot tub armed with a bottle of champagne. We spent many hours in the hot tub which was stunning, and in the night it was perfect gazing up at the stars. We went to York for the day on the Saturday, and it takes less than 15 minutes drive into York. Or you can choose to use the Park and Ride which is not far away.

To be honest we would have been happy to not even move out of the lodge. We had such a chilled out time here, and I was very grateful that my hubby had chosen Griffon Forest. For anyone planning a special break away I would highly recommend. We are already buttering up nana  planning when we can go again, hopefully next year. Oh and I can assure you there will be NO pitter patter of tiny feet in 9 months this time !

Thank you Griffon Forest for being an amazing place, and hubby for booking it and keeping it a huge secret. And thanks to my mum for supervising the kids for 3 whole days. We WILL be back and not leave it 12 years this time.