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Reviews of Whitemead Forest Park
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Whitemead Forest Park
Parkend
Lydney
Gloucestershire (Browse area)
GL15 4LA
Tel: 03301 230374 or 01594 560400
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Pitches: 110
Open: 23/01/2024 to 03/01/2025
23/01/2025 to 03/01/2026
Rating: 
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Photos (8)
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 Hardstanding Pitches |
 No Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 Rallies Welcome |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
 Motorbikers Welcome |
| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 Bathroom |
 Baby Changing Facilities |
 Laundry On Site |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 Wifi Access |
 Shop On Site |
 Bar On Site |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site |
| Activities |
 Kids Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 Evening Entertainment |
 No Fishing |
 No Wild Swimming |
 Indoor Pool On Site |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 Horse Riding <5 miles |
 Cycle Hire <1 mile |
 Golf <5 miles |
 No Tennis |
 No Beach |
 No Watersports |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 No Campfires Allowed |
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 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <5 miles |
 Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access |
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Reviews:
104 in total, now showing 71 to 80
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| Date of Visit: October 2009 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Sssnake |
41 reviews from this member |
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 Having tried to book for months we managed to get a long weekend in early October 2009. We were fortunate to be blessed with a good weather for 2 out of 3 days but to be honest, had it rained the whole time, we'd have enjoyed ourselves here.
Staff were friendly and helpful both when I phoned and booked and when we arrived. (Note that you cannot book a caravan, tent or motorhome pitch on-line at this site). The pitch was level, clean and very spacious and only a short walk from the shower block adjacent to the children's play area.
This particular shower block although clean and tidy is a little tired in appearance but being very clean helped tremendously as did the heating which was toasty.
Sssnake jnr loved the swimming pool which was safe and beautifully warm. Mrs Ssnake and I also enjoyed the sauna, steam room and jacuzzis (two) which aren't charged as extra like some sites.
We visited the club for children's entertainment one evening and have to say that although these clubs aren't normally our bag, we had a great time, the entertainer was funny and sympathetic -absolutely brilliant.
We also cycled down to the nearby steam railway and had a couple of hours or so on there which was really great fun and for jnr to be able to lean out of the window in these 'Health and Safety' mad days was pure joy. Do it.
The pub nearby which I think is called 'The Foresters' or similar serves lovely real ale and has a very large menu. I ate the fattest fat boy's mixed grill which although it'll never win anything from Michelin was great. A truly excellent local pub.
Will we go back? Absolutely, no shadow of a doubt. 
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| Date of Visit: September 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Findar |
4 reviews from this member |
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Have stayed on this site several times through the year for long weekends on either gravel or semi firm pitches and had no problems. The shower blocks were warm and clean on all occasions, although have not used the shower cubicles with kids as tended to shower them when they got out of pool.
The reception, pool, restaurant and club house are all clean with friendly helpful staff. There is good entertainment for the adults and children. There is a large outdoor play area and small indoor play area for the kids and the site is well situated for walking and cycling activities.
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| Date of Visit: September 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Janienich |
11 reviews from this member |
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Spent a weekend here and had a lovely autumn weekend apart from the neighbours!
The site itself was lovely and spacious with plenty to do. Our two year old loved the pool even if it was a little on the chilly side!
We spent all of one day cycling round the area (there is a cycle route within yards of the site entrance) and had a really enjoyable time on the many miles of cycle tracks that the forest has to offer.
Downside for us that we found that the site rules are not stringently applied and that there is no-one to enforce them other than reception.
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| Date of Visit: October 2009 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Bapwich |
8 reviews from this member |
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I have visited the site on several occasions, but not for about ten years. We decided to come back as we wanted another opportunity to explore the fantastic Forest of Dean. Unfortunately, whilst in the past the site was geared towards camping and caravaning, with a touch of other lodgings, this is no longer the case.
The site is now fully geared towards those staying in chalets and flats. The rest of the open spaces are dedicated to touring caravans (which seem to have been given good reviews). Unfortunately this means that the camping area has been left to the top corner of the site and is all up on a slope. There are very few camping pitches and we were the only tent there (October might have been something to do with it).
Facilities are very good, camping appears to be merely a side-note. It is a very 'busy' place. There are lots of things to do there, but if you are there to explore the forest then you don't really need two swimming pools, several bars, nightclubs etc to entertain you.
Whitemead Park is however an excellent location to explore the Forest, with many paths leading from the site itself. Everything is fairly nearby and you couldn't hope for much more when wanting a good base.
In spite of this, it has all become quite impersonal and because of the lack of attention that camping now attracts here I would be unlikely to camp there again.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Daviesfamily |
21 reviews from this member |
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We arrived following 5 days of solid rain according to campers packing up, who had been literally floating in their tents on fluid mud!The sun was out on our arrival and the mud was working up a particularly unpleasant manure smell, which remained for the week whenever the weather got warm!
Those leaving told us they had been several times before but never pitched on this particular area - The Mead. This area has apparently only been turned into pitches over the last couple of years and the ground was never prepared properly so consequently with little or no drainage it turns into a swamp in bad weather. Our particular pitch no.102 was ok, a little muddy, but we just pitched slightly over to one side to avoid. Slight slope for those pitches in this area.
Other areas seems to have faired a lot better with little or no mud. Pitches well spaced but no landscaping between most.
Adequate number of good hot and powerful showers etc. In two blocks, but not always as clean as they could be - this was partly down to the mud, recent grass cuts and people letting their children use the shower facilities on their own without advising them of good manners in cleaning up for the next person - more than one mop would help too!
Wash-up area good and launderette too.
Overall site layout good with some lovely scenery and beautiful walks and views.
Entertainment good although music went on a little too late for our liking, some nights midnight and very loud! considering we were one of the furthest pitches away! Good mixture of entertainment.
Restaurant food good and reasonably priced. Pool lovely with steam room and sauna free - change rooms very good.
Shop well stocked and reasonably priced.
Games room good with plenty to keep our teenagers entertained - air hockey, table football, and outside badminton and table tennis.
Overall a good site - good location for Forest of Dean activites ( cycling facilities are a must) good facililites and pitches generally good. However if we returned we would avoid The Mead area.
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| Date of Visit: July 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Melc36 |
7 reviews from this member |
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Visited here again in July, we have been here many times in the past, mainly because the children love the indoor pool and evening entertainment. Overall this site is good, but the toilets need a complete overall. They are not clean, very small shower cubicles. There is a major problem with drainage on this site, we stayed on pitch 34 and although it did rain for a couple of days the pitch was like a mud bath and did not dry out at all for the 10 days we were there, the people on pitch 33 complained and were told, well count yourselves lucky some camp sites are completely flooded, not the attitude bearing in mind the prices they charge for the pitches.
Will visit here again, but will make sure it is on a hard standing pitch, but they really need to be careful as there were a lot of unhappy people on site saying they would never return again.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Antnic10 |
7 reviews from this member |
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Just returned from a relaxing 7 night trip to Whitemead & thoroughly impressed. There are things to do & see in the area but it is safe to say that you could also stay on site (as we did most of the time) & not get bored. Setting is very picturesque with loads of greenbelt for kids to play on. There is also a v nice on site bar with sky sports & wi-fi connection for adults wishing to escape!
We booked a caravan pitch as designated tent area was full & in hindsight pleased it was as on slight incline & not all had electric hook-up. Majority of campers used caravan pitches. Onsite leisure & entertainment facilities great for young families - nightly disco's etc for the young ones & adult entertainment from 9.30pmish (tribute acts to illusionists).
Pool / jacuzzi / steam-room & sauna excellent. Spa/beauty parlour next to pool with reasonable prices. Daily daytime entertainment available too (from making pencil cases to laser gun combat games). Small Londis shop on site & fairly well stocked (we stocked up at the local Tesco in nearby Lydney which was a 10 min drive offsite).
Onsite restaurant (by night)/cafe (by day) was excellent value. Very reasonably priced & extensive menu (paid more for a meal in Fountain pub around the corner from site). Can highly recommend the huge creamed scone & tea/coffee! And staff very friendly & helpful.
Log cabins & apartments looked v nice & fitted well with the surrounding.
Grass pitches had suffered with the amount of rain from our typical british summer (although we were blessed for the full week) & we weren't able to use our original pitch. Ground was quite bad but I suspect with the high turnaround of this v popular site, it never really got a chance to recover.
There were 2 toilet blocks - 1 situated next to the caravan/camping pitches & the other down beside the log cabins. The latter being the cleanest & nicest. The one nearest the campers was constantly busy & more often than not dirty (from the mud & grass trailed in). Very disappointed with the showers as there were only 3, which were absolutely tiny. Had a nightmare showering my 2 young daughters in there. There was also not enough room or pegs to hang clothes etc (clothes often got wet) & the water overspilled onto the floor. We were tipped off by a cleaner that there were plans to build a new block up near the designated camping field. Lets hope they put more showers in & ones big enough to actually turn around!
All told we were very impressed at how well this site is run & other than the size & lack of showers, I would highly recommend a stay here. We will definitely come back sooner rather than later.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Simon_haven |
2 reviews from this member |
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We stayed at Whitemead for 10 days in the top field on a grass pitch. Having been several times before we knew the site fairly well and the facilities were as good as the last times - nice pool, restaurant, bar etc.
Unfortunately we also happened to be there when it was raining a lot and discovered one of the downsides of this site - the pitches don't drain very well, in fact hardly at all. Our awning floor was just sludgy mud from the day we arrived until the day we left, despite there being several days of blazing sunshine when we opened the sides right up. The lady in reception pointed out that they'd had unexpectedly high levels of rainfall and some other local sites had been completely washed out, but that wasn't really the point. Other sites we've been to have had lots of rain but it soaks into the ground and drains away. I don't know if they have clay soil or something but the water likes to stay where it is. It'd help if they got the grass mowed a little more often - it was over 3in long when we arrived and was finally mowed the day before we left - because this just holds the rainwater and makes it all more swampy. It wasn't just us, our neighbours had the same problem and lots of other people, especially those in tents, were suffering.
There are so many nice things about this site to recommend it - location, facilities, friendly helpful staff. I just wish they would spend some time and money on fixing the annoying little things. On the other hand, they seem to have no problem getting all the bookings they need so, commercially speaking, why should they bother? But they're charging near the top end of the scale for their pitches and, when I compare it to the cost of a full service pitch (your own electric, drinking water tap, grey water waste, freeview TV hookup) at somewhere like Sandy Balls in Dorset (one of our other favourite haunts), it doesn't look such great value.
We'll probably come back for the odd long weekend in future, but no more long family stays. But don't let me put you off. It's a beautiful site with good facilities and is especially good for those with younger families. Also, as several others have pointed out, you have the marvellous Go Ape just 10 mins up the road, which is a fantastic morning/afternoon for anyone young or old who doesn't mind heights!
The local area itself seems quite run down, which is understandable when you realise it was a big mining area and has had little subsequent investment since that all got shut down. Compared to Ross-on-Wye and Symonds Yat, 20 mins up the road, it's a world apart. Because of this, we had a lot of trouble finding a pub with decent food, but this time I think we struck gold. I can thoroughly recommend the Dog & Muffler, up Joyford Hill, in Berry Hill, North of Coleford. Don't ask me for directions, it'd be too hard! Find their website (I don't think there are any other UK pubs with that name) and use Google Maps. Anyway, the food is very good, a little pricey for pub food I suppose, but a beautiful pub with a lovely garden, some decent beers on tap and all in all we had 2 really good evenings there.
PS - for a previous reviewer who said they thought the site was only 5 years old, I didn't know any better but my neighbour tells me he used to go camping there with his parents thirty years or more ago when they had an outdoor pool and a little clubhouse! It's been owned by CSMA for a long time.
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| Date of Visit: June 2009 |
Unit: Trailer Tent |
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| Reviewer: Rossco01 |
3 reviews from this member |
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Whitemead is just a short 30 minute drive from home for us but we were eager for a 'close to home' site for a weekend trip which would enable us to leave work on Friday evening, get on-site, set-up quickly and so be able to enjoy a relatively long weekend.
First impressions are excellent with the site looking smart, modern (I believe it's only 5 years old) and set in beautiful woodland. The site has a mixture of caravan and camping plus woodland lodges and apartments (all of which look very welcoming). They are all blended tastefully and so the site feels very spacious and airy.
The caravan and camping is split principally into three areas with the main caravan and camping field which has level tiered pitches on an open field (with tarmac service road), a rally field which is a short distance across from the main field and a small area (called The Dell) which has semi-hard standing / gravel pitches which are separated by hedging.
There is a toilet block by the main camping field and a toilet block by The Dell. Each has 3 showers (3 for men and 3 for ladies!), toilets and separate wash areas. Again they are relatively new and modern. The showers are slightly too small for changing in and certainly in the Dell had a tendency for water to escape onto the floor. That said they were always clean and never overly used (possibly because of the high number of caravans).
The site has a main 'entertainment' complex which includes a heated pool, cafe and restaurant , sports bar, beauty salon and 'club'. All are free to use as part of your pitch fee.
The pool is large and includes steam room, sauna and jacuzzi.
The cafe is at the centre of the venue and is self service during the day selling breakfasts, mid morning snacks, afternoon teas and takeaway. Prices were reasonable without being cheap. In the evening the cafe becomes a smart table service restaurant and again the food is of high quality and reasonable prices (for a restaurant).
Alongside the restaurant is the sports bar, glass fronted with stylish leather seating and large LCD TV. It has a very relaxing outside area which looks over the large playing field and camping fields.
The restaurant and sports bar combined add a level of sophistication to the whole site in the evening.
In addition to all of the above is the 'club' (or more aptly called The Venue) which has live entertainment every evening (usually a children's disco and games) and on weekends include a live band of some description. Drink prices are not overly expensive.
Other facilities include a children's play area which whilst not being the best is still adequate and of course the surrounding forest with lots of short walks directly from the site.
The surrounding area has a multitude of things to do including Go Ape, Clearwell Caves, Beachenhurst Lodge (forest centre), Pedalabikeaway (with access to 9 mile family cycle trail), Puzzlewood, Mallards Pike Lake, Little Follies (soft play), Dick Whittington Centre (farm park and soft play) the list goes on and on and as we live in the area we've visited most of them. You're also within 30 minutes of Ross-on-Wye, Cheltenham and Gloucester.
All in all I would highly recommend the site although I would add that it does get booked up very early so advance booking is required.
One useful feature is that if no one is booked onto your pitch on your date of departure you can either stay until 12:00pm for free (usual departure time is 11:0am) or pay an extra £5 to stay until 6:00pm which means you can extend your stay to a full weekend.
There are a list of rules and regulations in terms of pitching and most people stick to these however they aren't rigorously enforced.
All in all a fantastic site and one we'll undoubtedly visit on a regular basis
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| Date of Visit: May 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Wilcocka |
1 review from this member |
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Visited he park last week for the third time. Site facilities are pretty good and generally kept in good order apart from no obvious checking of the camping/caravanning facilities. At a grey waste water disposal point the tap was constantly leaking all week. Swimming pool and gym kept in good order which kept both the kids and the adults happy. Restaurant and bar good value for money. Shop pretty basic but has the essentials. Surrounding area great for cycling and walking. Local cycle centre very helpful. Go Ape attraction fantastic. Main improvement point is security as we had 2 mountain bikes stolen from behind our caravan which were locked to the fence, on warning a few other visitors 2 had had bikes stolen before! Be warned
On the whole a good site and will visit again.
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Common Questions
Is Whitemead Forest Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Whitemead Forest Park have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Whitemead Forest Park? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Whitemead Forest Park dog friendly? YES View all facilities
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