West Walk, Forest of Bere

Berely worth the effort
May 2nd, 2023

May 2nd, 2023

Great gravel track to follow with a number of different routes. Easy going for families with a play area at the car park, dog friendly walks.
Apr 29th, 2023

Weve been coming here a lot over the years. My children are almost out of the teens now and we used to bring them here when they were still young enough to want to hunt for the Gruffalo! To keep coming back to a place it either has to evolve and grow to keep you entertained or, as is the case with Bere Forest (or Hundred Acres Wood as some folk know it) it has to stay the same. There are numerous trails you can take through the woods. Some are wide, stony and easy to navigate whilst others are quieter, secluded, less obvious and more off the beaten track. We walked the latter this time and were rewarded with the most gorgeous spread of bluebells which looked and smelled fabulous. Cyclists are welcome and, generally in my experience, share the broader pathways well with walkers. I do like to get off the main trails though as there are lots of charming streams and bridges to discover. I'll be clear, here, too. You do have to pay to park. It's a fiver for the whole day which for those with campers is a pretty sweet deal. For those wishing to stay a couple of hours (and if you have smaller children then that is probably plenty) then it's about 2 for up to two hours and about 3.50 for up to four. All of which seem pretty reasonable. One thing that has changed over the years is the children's play area which was pretty rudimentary when mine were old enough to use it. It is quite comprehensive now with two large areas one of which is fenced off meaning your little ones cannot wander off without some considerable effort. Well worth your time to visit here. Even on BH Monday it was busy but its size meant we were able to quickly find some tranquility.
May 1st, 2023

Apr 24th, 2023