Clearwell caves in the Forest of Dean is a must do visit over the christmas period…read more We took our nieces and nephews last year,they absolutely loved it and have asked to go again this year. Clearwell is an impressive large underground cave system,created by mining for iron ore. During christmas the caves are elaboratly decorated with fairy lights and decorations which are very good.The highlight of the caves is Father Christmas in his beautiful grotto where the children can recieve a gift. There is even a underground cafe and small christmas market. It is really worth visiting because the caves look magical with all the twinkling lights and even some floating light displays on the underfround lake. Take your family along and have a fab time.

I don't want to sound all 'bah-humbug', but I can only assume that the other reviewer (reviewee?)…read moreworks for the caves, is loaded, or easily pleased. To charge £7.50 per head for everyone aged 2 and above is daylight (perhaps that should be fairylight) robbery. I should have known when we reached the entrance to find a sign saying 'Adults - £7.50, Children - £7.50, Concessions - £7.50' - an interpretation of the word 'concession' that I have not come across before! In return for this gross over-charging, the children can choose from a cheap and nasty array of (unwrapped) toys, randomly tossed onto a table. In effect, I paid £30 for a plastic dinosaur and a 7cm 'Lightning McQueen' 'Hot Wheels' type car. To arrive at Santa's grotto, one walks past hundreds of named boxes, symbolising presents with every name imaginable (and unimaginable!), branches cut from Leylandii, and copious quantities of fairy lights. If your child wants to talk to Santa, be prepared for a wait of between 45 minutes and an hour, after which you can walk past scenes depicting the twelve days of Christmas...Hmmmmmmmm..This then leads you to the underground Christmas market and cafe, just in case you've got some hard-earned left in your pocket, and if they don't get it out of you there, well there's always the gift shop, which of course you have to go through in order to reach the exit. Admittedly, I have visited the caves before (out of the silly season) and the setting is therefore not as 'magical' as it might be for someone on their first experience, particularly children. My main objection is the blatant over-charging and poor value, considering that adults don't really get to see the caves in their true glory. But hey - it's Christmas - so I don't suppose I should expect anything less!! Oh - and prepare to get muddy, if I haven't put you off already!!

Whitemead is a family-orientated holiday park, located at Parkend, in the heart of the Forest of…read moreDean. Run by the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA), anyone can visit, but CSMA members get a hefty discount. (If you're eligible for the CSMA, it's well worth joining, just for one visit). It's a been a favourite with my family for get-togethers for several years now. Accommodation is a mixture of apartments, chalets and log-cabins, all set in attractive, landscaped wooded grounds. There are also camping and camper-van pitches. On-site facilities include a swimming pool and gym for the more energetic, and a restaurant and bar to undo all the good work later! There's also a small shop for groceries, and reception has tourist information on places to visit. The chalets and cabins, in a variety of styles and tariffs, are well equipped, with spacious lounge/dining areas, although the bedrooms tend to be a bit small (but then, you don't come here to stay in your bedroom). There's lots of wildlife: rabbits and deer wander around, and the bird-life is plentiful and they are used to visiting the chalets for crumbs! The small village of Parkend has a shop, two pubs (both with real ale), and is the terminus of the Dean Forest Railway (excellent for kids). But the main attraction has to be the forest itself: covering 35 square miles, it is excellent for walking, hiking, and especially for cycling: together with the adjacent Wye Valley forest, there are over 60km of off-road trails. Some have been converted from former industrial railway lines, with gentle gradients, making them perfect for children. Bikes can be hired from Cannop Cycle Centre. There are also plenty of tourist attractions in the surrounding area, with Monmouth, Chepstow, Ross-on-Wye and Gloucester all within half-an-hour's drive. Two things to note: the forest roads are narrow and twisty, and get busy in summer, so it's best to avoid cycling or walking on them use the trails instead. The Forest also has very limited mobile phone reception (none at Whitemead itself). You really will get away from it all!

As dmj1962 has already explained, Whitemead Forest Park is run by the CSMA and contains excellent…read morefacilities (see dmj1962's explanation of these below). We were there in mid-November. The chalets are delightful, warm and comfortable. The facilities overall are excellent. We had a great time using the place as a base for a few days to explore the Forest of Dean. CSMA membership gets you a raft of additional member benefits so it is worth joining to get the discount.