An oasis of pleasure in the Forest

Want all the fab things you might expect from a foreign jolly? STAN CULLIMORE found all of them and more - much closer to hand...

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A MATE has just got himself a midlife sports car, very nice it is too. Just right for putting the roof down and going on road trips. We recently decided to treat ourselves to a holiday to celebrate his new hot wheels. First thought was to head over to rural France, to explore the valleys, forests and chateaux they do so well over there. But then we remembered the expense of ferries, the queues at customs and all the faffing about that comes with foreign travel, so we decided to move our attention closer to home. Much closer. To the Forest of Dean, in fact.

Now, that may not sound like the perfect alternative to a French adventure, but actually, it was a fantastic decision. The trip was a complete joy from start to finish. It had all the fab things you might expect from a foreign jolly; endless sunshine, superb scenery, fabulous food, wonderful local wines, pretty market towns, but without any of the headaches and hassles that overseas travel can bring these days.

Our destination was Forest Barn Holidays, an opulent oasis of pleasure, snuggled down in a quiet and cosy part of the Forest of Dean, just outside Cinderford. The quickest way to get there for us was to jump on the M4 and head across the Severn Bridge. We then took a very pleasant pootle, making our way north, beside the river. Before turning off into the trees, just in time to enjoy a few miles of fairy tale forest sights and sounds. Really was a magical way to begin the adventure. I half expected to see deer, wild boar or tree trolls scampering off into the distance around every twist and turn. (Spoiler alert - there are no tree trolls in the forest.)

After reaching a picture perfect green glade, we turned up a quiet lane, drove past a pretty vineyard and found ourselves in paradise. Forest of Dean style. All I can say is, “rural France, eat your heart out”. This place has got everything you could possibly wish for and far more besides. And, everyone speaks English. Result.