Wenchford Picnic Site is in the Forst Of Dean and is the perfect spot for a fun day out, a paddle in the stream, or a walk. We visited on the hottest day of the year as we wanted a place with shade, water, and somewhere to chill with the children. We were not disappointed and will definitely head back there again soon!
The Forest of Dean is a well-known beauty spot in Gloucestershire and has so much to offer for visitors and locals alike. Whether you are looking for dog-friendly walking trails, babbling brooks or sculpture trails it has it all. There are many places that are worthy of a mention and previously we have shared our days out at Puzzlewood and more active days including paddleboarding on the River Wye. However this time we decided to head to Wenchford Picnic Spot with our best friends for a day of adventures.
The Wenchford Picnic Site is easy to find and there is a good amount of parking (we paid £4 for the day). The facilities (cafe, toilets, etc) at this site are generally open from April until the end of October. We went prepared to paddle and armed with a meal deal as we took on the hottest day of the year!
There is plenty of space along the stream to set up camp under the huge oak trees and there were all sorts of groups meeting up for a paddle and play from family groups with BBQ’s to couples and friendship groups.
We found a shady spot under a tree away from everyone else, even in a busy ish place we were able to socially distance easily by heading away from the main opening spot.
The girls quickly headed off to explore the stream and enjoyed cooling off and escaping the heat. I advise wearing sliders if playing in the water as it is obviously rocky in places! Of course it wasn’t long before one of ours slipped and knocked her knee!
Thankfully we were fully prepared with our safe and sound first aid pack! I rarely leave home without some plasters, antiseptic spray and the new 2020 addition of carrying hand sanitizer!
The Kids Fun Plasters come in two varieties – dinosaurs, monsters, robots and spaceships, or unicorns, dinosaurs, mermaids and princesses. The plasters are washproof, so should withstand splashes, dampness and wet environments, ideal for our escapades at Wenchford in the Forest of Dean today!
Erin has super sensitive skin and it can be fragile due to her hypermobility syndrome but these plasters are hypoallergenic and lot gentler on the skin than standard plasters. The plaster is also flexible, which is perfect for kids running around and moving lots!
I was able to patch her up and send her on her adventure seeking way! Thankfully Erin is like me and searches out fun and doesn’t let a scraped knee stop play!
After exploring in one direction, they decided that they were hungry and reappeared for lunch! We used the hand sanitiser for a freshen up. Ideally, hands should be cleaned using soap and water, but we know that’s not always possible when you’re out and about with the family. The Foaming Hand Sanitiser with Aloe Vera kills 99.99% of bacteria and dried quickly without leaving any sticky residue.
We then found ourselves talking to the girls about our own childhoods, the games we played (long before iPads and Roblox!) how we built dams and the parks we played in. We too remembered the scrapes we found ourselves in and shared our scars from falling off bikes and banging heads on coffee tables! Every scar tells a story!
Yet we lived to tell the tale! I have written before about how I choose to parent and encourage independence. I am not a helicopter parent and my philosophy is about letting my children take calculated risks and it seems to have worked. I have got two children safely to adulthood and Erin at 10 will be pushing and striving for more independence as she prepares for secondary school. Therefore I go armed prepared for adventure and deal with the inevitable scrapes along the way. Being prepared is what matters not stopping children exploring. One of my favourite quotes is
‘The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying’
I think my children have taken this quote at its word and are quite robust and adventurous as a result. The girls were soon back in the stream looking where more fun could be had.
We stayed at Wenchford for a good few hours before returning home to BBQ cooked by the 16 year year which is one of his lockdown learnings! He is now able to get a fire going and cook for us all – pretty sure that is a skill essential for teenagers to master if they want to be invited to lots of parties! As everyone likes someone who can BBQ on a day out either at the beach or local beauty spot!
Our day trip to Wenchford was lots of fun, the girls enjoyed a day in shade and came back worn out and slept well after plenty of Forest of Dean fresh air!
Just over the border in Worcestershire is another great family walk at Broadway Tower.
