The Woodman is one of two traditional pubs in Parkend, located at the centre of the Forest of Dean. The decor is traditional - beamed ceilings, stone walls adorned with old photographs of the village and various old wood-cutting implements, and a dark floral carpet. As well as the bar, there's a separate restaurant dining area and the pub also does accommodation.
The pub does a range of well-kept real ales (a very nice Wadworth's 6X on my most recent visit) and a selection of traditional pub food, both snacks and three-course meals, with a decent vegetarian selection. The quality of food is above average, although prices are a little high in my view, and service can be a bit hit-and-miss: most recently they had a large party in the restaurant, but only one chef in the kitchen, so a straightforward meal took an hour to arrive, and the table didn't feel spotlessly clean. I hope this was a glitch, as it has been better before (had we just wanted a drink, though, we'd have been fine).
It has an outside seating area at the front, alongside the road. It's very popular with cyclists, hikers and tourists during the holiday season. read more