Sherwood Forest Holiday Park – The Perfect Summer Cool-Down Spot
We stayed for 4 nights over the late May bank holiday weekend, and luckily for us, the campsite has a river flowing right through it - the perfect place to cool off during the heatwave! It was honestly so lovely to see so many people splashing about on rafts, paddleboards, and even inflatable unicorns.
Although I’m a big believer that the weather makes all the difference for a UK holiday, I can confidently say I’d love this site no matter what the weather was doing. So here’s the lowdown on our trip – including must-visit attractions, top tips for selecting a pitch, and everything we got up to.
Pitchin’ & Setting Up Camp
Sherwood Forest Holiday Park is a large site with a mix of motorhomes, campervans, tourers, tents, and seasonal pitches – and soon, glamping pods too!
You can view the map here: As you can see, there’s a river running through and around the site. You can book riverside pitches with direct access to the water. The best area for this is Riverside. Pitches here also benefit from the newer park and a family bathroom nearby.
Lime and Lake pitches had beautiful views of the river, but be mindful that some of the grass pitches had duck poo. Not an issue if your kids are a bit older, but I know Luca would’ve been running straight through it, so we avoided these areas. We did stay here a few years back though and loved waking up to the lake views every morning – it’s so peaceful.
So where did we actually pitch? We stayed on Beech, which is a quieter part of the site. The river here is up a banking, which felt much safer for us with Luca. There’s one toilet block serving Beech, Pine, Oak and Chestnut. The female block has two showers, so it can get quite busy at peak times.
It’s also worth noting there’s no family bathroom here, and the blocks could definitely do with a refurbishment. That said, they were clean and the showers were hot – just something to be aware of if you prefer more modern facilities.
The Beech pitches are really spacious. We opted for a grass pitch and had loads of room for the awning, car, and even space to play our new swing ball set! It was so lovely waking up to the ducks each morning.
If we booked again, I think we’d stay in this area – although when Luca is older, we’d definitely go for Riverside for direct river access.
What’s On Site?
Beech pitches are located at the far end of the site, which also gives you closer access to the forest and nearby Sherwood Steam Railway – another reason we loved this spot.
There are loads of beautiful walks around the site, including along the river, through the forest, and up on the higher bank where the dog walk is. It’s a really picturesque site, and all the surrounding trails are suitable for bikes.
The on-site shop is a treasure trove – quite literally. They sell loads of great kids’ toys, including little treasure boxes which Luca was obsessed with! You’ll also find food, drinks (non-alcoholic), camping essentials, chairs, and pretty much everything you could need.
Over the bank holiday weekend there were food trucks too – fish and chips, pizza, milkshakes, ice cream, and donuts. Safe to say we did not go hungry. The milkshakes were a particular highlight – we couldn’t get enough of them.
There were also loads of organised kids’ activities, including a duck race in the river, tombola stalls, toy stalls, and an animal hunt around the park.
There are play parks on site, but we didn’t use them much as it was really hot and Luca was happy playing around our pitch and riding his bike.
Nearby Adventures & Days Out
The site is brilliantly located for both small and big adventures.
One of the highlights of our trip was Sherwood Steam Railway. You can walk there from site – exit as if you’re heading towards the fishing lakes and turn right. You’ll see a sign for a private road; turn right here and follow the path straight on (towards the dog walk), then take the left dirt path. Follow it for around 10 minutes and you’ll arrive.
It’s free to use the adventure park, under-5s play area, and bouncy castle. But the standout is the little steam railway, which takes you on a ride around the area with fun characters to spot along the way. There’s also a café and food truck – we’d really recommend this for little ones.
For a bigger adventure, Sherwood Forest is just a 10-minute drive away. You’ll pass The Dog and Duck pub on the way if you fancy stopping for a post-forest lunch.
Entry to the forest is free, though parking is charged per car. Once inside, there are loads of free activities including a brilliant adventure playground, the Room on the Broom trail (perfect for Julia Donaldson fans), a pedal-and-play track, plus stunning walks and cycle trails among the towering pine trees.
There’s also Go Ape, Nets Adventure, and Segways. We did the Nets Adventure and Luca absolutely loved bouncing around in the treetops – highly recommend!
For the Grown-Ups
The Dog and Duck pub is around a 20-30 minute walk from site, or there is parking available.
To walk it, cut through the forest and a couple of housing estates – there is some road walking, but not much. Once there, you’ll find a beautiful big beer garden, and I can confirm the Sunday roast is delicious!
Overall Vibe & Rating
The site has such a chilled and friendly feel. There are lots of seasonal pitches, and everyone we passed said hello. The staff couldn’t do enough for us – they made sure we were pitched together (three families in total), and were constantly driving around in buggies, stopping for a chat and checking if we needed anything.
The grounds are really well kept, and facilities were cleaned at least daily (probably more). We would give this site a 4/5 – the only downside being the slightly outdated shower blocks.
We will definitely be returning. It’s officially toddler and tinny approved!
Check out my Instagram page for a digital diary of our stay and highlight reel.
By Hannah Hey
Image credits – Hannah Hey
