Camping in the Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley are beautiful areas of countryside. On the English/Welsh border and very accessible. We enjoyed a fantastic weekend camping in the Forest of Dean and loved exploring the woodlands.

Beeches Farm Campsite

Overlooking the Wye valley – the views are AMAZING! Beeches Farm Campsite is a beautiful place to stay. Surrounded by the woodland of the Forest of Dean make this a peaceful setting. The campsite offers direct access to Offa’s Dyke National Trail and walks to Tintern Abby.

Well organised with good sized pitches, each with their own fire pit. Adults are £10 a night and kids £5. Wood for the fire pits has to be purchased from the site. There is a relaxed atmosphere, a small playground but no shop so make sure you get well stocked up with supplies before arriving!

A friendly and well organised reception. The staff member who checked us in took the time to explain the campsite and also talked us through some of the local walks. The pitch sizes are generous, although some are sloping, make sure you sleep with your head up the hill!

Facilities are available for freezing ice packs and a fridge (all free). The showers were a £1 for 4 minutes. These seemed to be a bit temperamental and were busy at peak times. There were plenty of loos and the facilities were generally well maintained and clean.

Would recommend staying at Beeches Farm Campsite for camping in the Forest of Dean because of it’s location and great vibes.

Chepstow Castle

Chepstow is just a 20 minutes drive from from Beeches Farm Campsite and is home to the magnificent Chepstow Castle. The castle has stood for more than six centuries, towering over the River Wye and was considered to be the gateway to Wales.

The kids loved this castle because there is plenty to explore, with many towers to climb and rooms to discover. It really ignited their imagination, with lots of roll playing – fighting off dragons and invaders as we walked around. We spent a good 3 hours at Chepstow Castle discovering the history of the castle and playing games.

Located in the centre of Chepstow, there is a large car park (pay and display) and family entrance tickets to the castle are £28.20 (admits 2 adults and up to three children). We took in a picnic and enjoyed lunch within the castle walls (there is no cafe onsite).

The Devil’s Pulpit

The Devil’s Pulpit is a viewpoint and limestone rock jutting out from the cliffs high above the River Wye along the Offa’s Dyke Footpath. It is about a 45 minute walk direct from the Beeches Farm Campsite, through beautiful woodland.

The legend has it that the devil preached to the monks below here, tempting them away from Tintern Abbey. You can read more about the story here. It offers spectacular views over Tintern Abby and the River Wye.

The kids loved this walk and pretty much ran the whole way! There is an excellent climbing tree at the Devil’s Pulpit and they could have spent the whole day playing here.

Other local activities

Symonds Yat

Symonds Yat Rock is a viewpoint with picturesque views of the River Wye. Waymarked walking and cycling trails into the Forest of Dean. It is also the meeting point for canoe trips on the river. We enjoyed a great day out with the River Wye Canoe company back in 2018. You can read the trip report here.

Tintern Abby

Tintern Abby stands on the banks of the River Wye and is a national icon. You can walk to Tintern Abby from Beeches Farm Campsite.

Cannop Cycle Centre

The Cannop Cycle Centre (or Forest of Dean Cycle Centre) is the home of mountain biking in the Forest of Dean, offering trails for all abilities and ages. The Family Cycle trail is a 9 mile circular route mainly on former railway lines. Read more about it here.

It is also home to the excellent, blue graded Verderers trail – often voted one of the best in the country. One of our favourite trails, read our review of the Verderers trail.