Three weeks in the Forest of Dean.....must do day trips?
 

My husband and I have booked a cottage in Blakeney on the edge of the Forest of Dean for 3 weeks in April 2011 to do some family history research. Any suggestions for must do day trips?

Well, you are withing reach of just about everything in south central England, including Oxford, the great Cathedrals, plenty of Roman ruins, various Downs, Portsmouth and Southampton.

What do you like? Beaulieu Abbey has old cars, the River Test has trout, Brighton has a pier, etc.

Go to a bookstore in the largest city near you (or probably order from Amazon) and get a British road atlas based on Ordnance Survey maps. They list _everything_.

Those are a bit far from the Forest of Dean, Ackislander - are you perhaps mixing it up with the New Forest?

To the OP: It's a lovely area; we used to stay near there (though not actually in the forest) almost every year when I was a child. Things I particularly remember doing from there : Symonds Yat beauty spot; Tintern Abbey; Goodrich Castle (there are lots of castles in the area); Hay on Wye (for the bookshops); visiting various medieval churches; etc.

You'll need to go to Gloucester for the family history research: http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives

Yes, I was indeed mixing it up with the New Forest, my only excues being that I was answering at 0340 my time while awake at the tail end of Hurricane Earl! Yes, this is whinging.

All your suggestions are good. I also like Ludlow a lot.

As well as those mentioned by Nonconformist, I would add the Roman baths and garrison at Caerleon, Bath, Bristol, Big Pit at Blaenavon, the Brecon Beacons and the Gower peninsula. Cardiff Castle and Castel Coch are both worth seeing, as is the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagans. Many of the Welsh attractions are free.

Most of the Forest of Dean attractions are quite low key, but we recently went to the Clearwell Caves, an underground iron mine. You may also like Lydney Harbour on the River Severn and the viewpoint over the Wye valley off the B4432 at Symonds Yat Rock. Symonds Yat itself is quite interesting.

If you like cycling, there are places to hire bikes and ride the old railway lines. If your enthusiasm is for zip wires and walkways in the tree tops, try Go Ape at Mallards Pike.

Details of all are available via Google.

I have visited the Forest of Dean several times and its a beautiful area. If you like walking give the Sculpture trail a go. Its about 4 miles and the sculptures all represent some form of forest life.

The nearby Black & White village trail is also worth doing.

I agree with Nonconformist - Symonds Yat, Tintern Abbey etc, all worth seeing.

Thanks guys, some great ideas.....we are so looking forward to our visit! Keen to also see some of Wales, so we should be able to get the best of both worlds from Blakeney.