Mallards Pike in the Forest of Dean is England’s largest oak woodland with a beautiful lake and plenty of stunning trails for running, biking and walking. For even more adventure there’s Go Ape’s lofty tree top rope course or a fun Gruffalo orienteering course for the younger ones. It’s free to enter but you pay for the parking and any activities.
We love spending time here. It’s about an hours drive from Bath and managed by Forestry England so has well maintained trails which were great when we were reliant on the buggy and now the children take their bikes. There’s some really lovely short, flat paths which are perfect.
The kids also love feeding the ducks and stopping off for a picnic or a hot drink from the cafe. On the return journey we often stop off at Taurus Crafts village where I have a rummage through the vintage and antiques bits while the kids go to the children’s playground.
The Trails. There’s all manner of trails for walking, hiking and a family cycling trail. They’re well signposted or download a map. If you’ve got a buggy or in a wheelchair there’s accessible routes to follow. We’ve always found it easy to navigate around the site.
The Adventure. Go Ape is an outdoor adventure company running tree top rope courses and Segway hire. The rope challenge course is definitely for the bold and the brave taking you 15 meters up into the tree canopy on wooden platforms and rope ways before zip wires shoot you back down to earth. If you enjoy your fun closer to the ground you can zip off on one of their all-terrain electric Segways. The sites closest to Bath are Mallards Pike and Beechenhurst.
In case you’re a bit apprehensive there’s a team of very friendly and helpful instructors who patiently take you through a training session before you go on the course.
The Beechenhurst course nearby is more suitable for younger families with no age limit. Check their site for full restrictions.
Go Ape 
The Gruffalo. We haven’t done this yet as the children are too small but it looks like a great activity to engage the children in orienteering and map reading. You can get your map for £1.50 from the cafe and follow the 2km course from nearby.
The Cafe. There’s a small cafe onsite serving hot drinks and a selection of sandwiches and cakes. There’s some seating outside as well as picnic benches dotted about.
The Crafts Market. Taurus Crafts is about 15mins from the forest. There’s a wide range of antiques, vintage, arts and crafts. It’s home to a fantastic range of independent businesses and they run two shops with mixed ability team. They offer courses and events throughout the year to discover your own creativity. There’s a large cafe onsite beside a lovely playground.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
BUGGY: It’s all paved and buggy friendly, some rough terrain, gravel and mud but suitable for most buggies.
DOGS: Dogs are welcome
LOCATION: Map. Forest of Dean, Mallards Pike, Cinderford GL15 4HD
PARKING: Large, paid for car park onsite
TOILETS: Toilets beside the car park & cafe
