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We stayed for a weekend in July, we booked a standard pitch as we wanted the freedom to pitch wherever we liked rather than being tied to an EHU point, but in practice the site is so sloped that it is very tricky to find a pitch which is practical.
The toilet blocks are really showing their age and I can't help but think that from a campers point of view Forest Holidays would be better off refurbing them than spending all that money on the reception building and shop at the Christchurch site.
Site is a bit pricey given range of facilities, but toilets are well cleaned and staff are incredibly friendly and helpful.
I don't understand some comments about wanting pitches clearly marked out - while I can see it may get cramped when busy, I prefer their less regimented approach. We went with a group of 6 other families and it was excellent to be able to pitch our tents in a circle and the kids (and us grown-ups!) have an area in the middle.
You need to be aware that the site is sloping (in the morning we were squashing my youngest up against the side of the tent - so choose your pitch carefully.
The real bonus is the easy access to forest walks and cycling - we ended up all walking down to Symonds Yat and enjoying a nice pint by the water - though the uphill return took us a little longer.
A number of the recent reviews were posted by folk presumably staying at the site during a bank holiday. There are several recurring comments. Having visited the site during the Spring bank holiday I have to concur with these.
Although the site is in a great location it's clear that during busy periods the number of tents is hugely in excess of a sensible capacity - not quite up the the festival-like experience indicated in one review but not far off. It reached the stage where we couldn't actually park our car anywhere near our tent.
You can live with this for a day or two but it does make you wonder how anyone trying to fight a fire, or prevent its spread, would cope. There wasn't much sign of the minimum 3m between tents being enforced.
Although it would involve a bit more work for the owners/managers (but given the income they must generate there is no excuse really) it could benefit from having marked, assigned pitches of a range of sizes to cope with the differing requirements of couples, families, large groups etc.
Likewise the income must surely allow for construction of additional facilities, more regular updating of the existing facilities and regular cleaning.
As you can see I can't agree with the reviewer who commented 'Even though the site was very busy, we had plenty of space and everyone adhered to the noise rules, which was quite a surprise for such a large camp site'.
On the latter point, given the number of people present it wasn't surprising that there were the usual late night campers present (alcohol influenced in some cases) oblivious of the impact of their actions on others.
I've just spent the last couple of nights at this site with my partner and 2 stepchildren. I've been camping with my partner for the last 5 years and personally I've been camping for the last 35 years so we are very experienced campers and have stayed at lots of sites, both large & small.
So, here we go on the review - I'm sorry to say that this has to be one of the dirtiest and crowded sites I've every stayed on. If you like other campers so close to you that you can hear them pass wind then this is definitely the site for you (I kid you not).
We were pleasantly surprised when we were told on checking in that we could pitch 'anywhere we wanted to as long as it was 6 metres from others'. We drove down the long pretty wooded drive to the campsite and hit the 1st speed bump rather harder than planned (10mph) as it has no visible painting on it and in the shade it blended in to the road (a quick lick of white paint would sort this a treat). We liked the fact that there was a keypad on the gate (great security).
We found a lovely area with a few other tents up the top and started to put the tent up and thought how lovely and pretty the site was although quite busy. Whilst sat having a cuppa I noticed a member of staff asking a caravanner to move his caravan (he'd literally just arrived) as he was too close to the next one and we commented how good that was. That was until we went out for the day on the Saturday and came back about 7pm to find our tent surrounded by 4 other tents - 2 of which were together and were approx. 2 metres from ours. We were not impressed but figured as we were going home the next day not much point in complaining.
Less than 20 minutes before putting our kids to bed the baby next door kicked off crying, which I appreciate wasn't the site's responsibility but didn't help that they were so close it sounded like they were inside our tent. Apart from anything else I was under the impression that the distance between tents was for fire safety, but that rule doesn't seem to be adhered to here for some reason.
Now to the facilities - oh my goodness. Even after being cleaned they weren't very clean. 2 of the toilets I used during our stay took about 4 attempts to flush and 1 wouldn't flush at all so the kids struggled with this. The shower I had had plenty of hot water however the control is a flat panel that you touch your finger to - mine was faulty. Sometimes you touched it and it came straight on, sometimes you stood there pressing it and nothing happened. Great fun when you are covered in shampoo & shower gel and trying to rinse off.
The sinks were disgusting pretty much every time I went in there and 1 was blocked and backed up. I appreciate some of that is down to the other campers / visitors but not all of it. In fact Sunday morning I poured some cold water into a bowl and had a cold wash in the tent and we all had showers when we got home instead.
To say the toilet blocks are dated are an understatement and considering the pitch prices I would say overpriced in comparison to every other site we've stayed on.
This has the potential to be an amazing site, it's location alone sees to that, but unfortunately the lack of organisation and the fact that they cram them in spoils things in our opinion. If you go when the kids are at school and don't stay over the weekend during the summer it will probably be idyllic. Any other time I couldn't recommend it.
Also, there was no children's play area which we thought was peculiar and you're not allowed to fly kites so not overly kid friendly. I do totally understand about kites when by other units but they could easily cordon off a small area for the kids which would not compromise the site.
It's a shame! It could be an absolute joy to stay here but just not until they update their facilities and policies on pitches and stop crying to cram them in.
We've been using this site for many years along with the nearby site Christchurch. It's a lovely area, lots to do, the activities available (eg. Cycling & canoeing) suit both our teenage son and 8 year old daughter, beautiful scenery, good walks, shops nearby in Coleford and less than an hour away from home for us.
I never tire of going to Symonds Yat, and a walk through the forest to the Rock is wonderful on a lovely sunny day.
Bracelands can get busy so we tend to avoid weekends and bank holidays and use it for short breaks mid week.
The site itself is sloping but this has never been a big problem for us as we tend to go at quieter times, so are able to find fairly flat pitches. Facilities are a bit old and shabby, could do with an update especially considering the price you pay for a basic pitch. I've never noticed a shortage in hot water though and the facilities seem to be cleaned regularly. Also there are lots of cold water taps placed across the site which is really useful.
Booking online is straightforward and when booking by telephone I've always found the call center staff helpful, only wish I could say the same about the staff on site. Over the years I've found booking in on site to be an lengthy process, usually complicated by computer problems, card payment problems etc etc, these issues are obviously out of the control of the staff but generally I've observed the staff to be quite abrupt and rude on times, not just to me but to other campers, so much so it's even starting to put me off using the site.
The old shop and booking office are in the process of being demolished and the booking office is currently housed in a temporary portable cabin, but the poor attitude to customer service has been a long standing problem, maybe Forest Holidays could invest a bit more time on staff training along with the new holiday cabins and ready tents.
Present were 3 families with children ranging from 6 – 10. We went to Christchurch site last year and had a lovely time however we thought the shower block was a little dated, and booked this one by mistake. How glad we were.
The top toilet block was a lot smarter than the middle one, this could do with a little TLC. It was regularly cleaned though and I only had to queue one morning for the showers even though the site was full as it was bank holiday weekend.
However we had to queue to do the washing up most evenings, so I feel they need to provide extra washing up space.
We found the rangers, firm but very helpful. We were pitching our gazebo and one came over and very politely asked if we could move it back a little. Also our children got a small kite out to play with, and again we were asked very politely not to and explained why. The rules are there on site for everyone’s safety and this was handled very well. I imagine this to be a very difficult job that they all did very well.
Even though the site was very busy, we had plenty of space and everyone adhered to the noise rules, which was quite a surprise for such a large camp site.
We took our bikes and did the cycle path through the forest from the pedalbikeaway Cycle Centre which was lovely, would recommend that.
Also had a take away from Hong Kong House Chinese. Very good.
Would recommend this site and would definitely go back ourselves.
The campsite is surrounded by natural forest and beauty. We visited bank holiday weekend and it was overstretched/overfull. (After the bank holiday the site became quieter and calmer). Our pitch was booked and paid but we still queued for half hour plus because the staff were so very slow and seemed to blame the campers for the nuisance.
The shop was situated on Christchurch half mile away (all up hill) people were driving cars just to get a pint of milk etc causing congestion at the gate. However this could have been overcome with the use of a small delivery van selling milk, bread, eggs etc. (Shop was very expensive & didn't cater for the numbers on site).
The toilet facilities were very dated, flush mechanism didn't always work, and cleanliness left a lot to be desired, they closed for an hour for cleaning, (I went straight in after and there were plasters and tissue left on the floor) The site is very badly managed (the manager informed us he had no control as it was Forestry Commission run). If run properly with new or better trained staff it would be an excellent venue with great potential.
In summary, not the worst, but not the best either.
The site is easy to book and pay online, and you get immediate indication of availability. This helped as we arrived late on the Friday night and it saved having to pay up on arrival. Its a massive sight so good for last minute bookings as ours was.
The site is well located for Monmouth, Symonds Yat and the Forest of Dean. We certainly found plenty to do in the area - walks in the forest and a half day Kayak trip via the Monmouth Canoe centre opposite the leisure centre (they were excellent).
On the downside the site is too large for the facilities, and the facilities do not match the price you pay. I think there were 4 shower / toilet blocks on Bracelands - they all looked to be the same size as the one nearest to our pitch (5 showers, c10 toilets and 10-15 sinks).
Shower wise they need at least twice as many, I visited the shower block Sunday morning 3 times between 7 am and 10:30 and there were at least 7/8 people in the que each time. The facility was cleaned once per day - but this needs to be more when the site is full - as it was. In the queue for the shower the cleaner came in and said 'there are 3000 people here this weekend we can't keep up'. I didn't feel that the cleanliness of the ladies facility was too bad overall (don't forget the flip flops for the shower), but my other half said the gents was fairly grim, the same pieces of litter etc around on the floor / in the toilet for more then a day.
Pot washing facilities always had hot water - never suffered much of a que for this - which was surprising given the number of people on site!
Price for a basic tent pitch was £20 per night (includes 1 tent for 2 people and car space)- I'd expect a bit more for the money given the shower / loo status. I'd go back if it were a bit cheaper - I've stayed at much better for £13 - £15 a night.
A good shop exists for the last minute bits and pieces at the entrance to the site.
On the positive side the internet booking facility is great, the reception staff were friendly and efficient and the site is located in a great location for all the attractions the Forest of Dean has to offer. We also bought fresh croissants from the shop which were not cheap, but delicious!
However the campsite itself was a huge disappointment and one we wouldn't choose to visit again. There are comments on the gently sloping nature of the park and this may be the case for many, however upon arriving on a busy Bank Holiday weekend there were very few spaces left that wouldn't have involved sleeping at a pretty steep angle!
There were no marked pitches which usually makes for relaxed camping, however in this particular location where there are virtually no trees, bushes or hedges it leads to an experience I can only describe as like camping at a music festival. The 6m spacing rule seemed to have been reduced to 3m and the only way we could avoid the really steep slopes was to pitch in what was another groups Gazebo area - much to their obvious annoyance!
There were enough toilet/shower facilities to cope with the numbers, but they are badly in need of an upgrade. The gents in particular was very smelly (as others have commented)and the cubicles had broken door locks and were out of toilet paper. There was also only 1 soap dispenser for around 15 sinks.
There seemed to be a lot of very content people around but this site was not for us and I would recommend considering all the options available before plumping for this site.
My family, friends and I have just returned from a 5 day stay at Bracelands Campsite and I thought you would value some feedback.
Things we loved:
• Location was stunning and local walks were lovely
• Ice block exchange
• Well stocked shop
• Beautifully maintained grass.
The main issue centres on the washing/toilet facilities.
In our experience we found that:
• The showering facilities were not adequate to cope with the demands of a capacity bank holiday weekend – on Sunday morning members of our party had to queue for up to 40 mins for a cubicle to become available. One lady I spoke to said she had been showering at 6am to avoid the need to queue. Even when the campsite emptied during the week the amount of time spent queuing I would class as borderline unacceptable and clearly indicative that the facilities were insufficient for the number of pitches occupied.
• The facilities were not cleaned often enough or to a high enough standard. They really are all in a pretty poor state of decline. A deep clean is required (minimum) and then they need cleaning properly at least twice a day. I don’t mind basic facilities (however a hairdryer would be nice) but I expect them to be clean, hygienic and properly maintained especially at a Forestry site. The ones at Bedgelert surpass these in every single way and when we visited there it rained every day and the terrain was muddy.
• The soap and toilet roll was constantly running out and when the soap was replenished it was not fully topped up and soon ran out again.
• Many of the toilets were frequently blocked and full of toilet paper and excrement. One of our male party members reported that one in the men’s toilets remained blocked for over 36 hours. They also both complained of a strong stench of urine and preferred not to take our three small boys in there at all.
• Dependent on which shower cubicle was available, what time you showered, depended on how good a shower you got. Some were great, others pitiful and on one occasion completely ran out of hot water altogether. Just not a nice experience especially coupled with the long dead spiders, other people’s hair clogging the drains, cracked tiles, furry air vents and general widespread grime and dirt (not to mention toilet smells).
Booking in
• On arrival, the queue was approximately 20 people deep queuing outside the portacabin. Fortunately when my family arrived it was dry but my friend had to queue in tipping rain.
• The queue moved exceptionally slowly especially considering all pitches on this weekend were pre-booked and I would speculate that most had been paid for.
• Whilst I understand the need for a welcoming reception given the number of people booking in I think the people responsible should have been far more efficient.
O Most people know how to operate a sticky label and do not need lengthy instruction on how to peel it off. What’s wrong with saying, “Display this bit on your tent and this bit on your car.”?
O Most people can read a map key and can identify facilities like toilets. I do not require every single item to be circled on my map and taken through it in minute detail, especially not when there are still people queuing round the car park behind me.
O Most people camping know general camping rules – a simple “Can I draw your attention to the part of the brochure which includes our rules and regulations as they are vigorously enforced?” Would be enough to push most people in the right direction.
And the last point I would like to raise is that of pitch size. We have 2 tents, one is in a peace sign kind of formation and covers quite a large area and our other one is a more standard and smaller rectangular shape. When booking I noted your pitch size dimensions and so therefore we brought our smaller, but not as good, tent which would easily fit into your pitch size. However I was shocked to note how many other “sputnik” style tents had been pitched, with similar dimensions to our big tent and wondered if every single one of those people had paid extra to be allowed to use their big tents when we had left ours at home. Some of them even had extensions on them making them approx 10m (if not more) from front to back. We would obviously have preferred to bring our larger tent but didn’t. I think that unless you are enforcing you pitch size policy consistently then it is unfair to the people who do adhere to the rules.
Having never visited the Forest of Dean we were torn between Christchurch and Bracelands. We're glad we chose Bracelands on this occasion.
Bracelands is about 1/2 mile down the road from it's sister site, 'Christchurch'. You pay £10 for a barrier key and get this back at the end of your stay.
We had a good choice of pitches with EHU and the views were great, overlooking woodland and the forest. There were 3 washblocks (although I think there may have been a 4th near the rally field). They were clean but the water wasn't very hot and in one block the shower cubicles were smaller than the main block which meant we got stuck to the shower curtain. They were adequate but I have to say we're used to 4 and 5 star shower blocks!
Although it was mid Sept there is a Chip Van that comes round on a Friday evening although it was advertised as Fri, Sat and Sunday during the Summer months so we didn't expect it. We had therefore gone into Coleford on the Friday eve and got the biggest portion of haddock and chips I have ever seen!
There is plenty to do in both the immediate and surrounding area from walks direct into the forest itself and Symonds Yat which is about 3 miles away.
This site is well placed for exploring the Forest of Dean and has fab views - the only thing that lets it down is the washblocks but this won't prevent us from returning.
The Forest of Dean is a stunning place. The wildlife is cracking, with lots of Birds of Prey to be found. There are several visitor points throughout the forest - we visited most of them and they were excelent. The little hamlet of Symonds Yat has to be visited - a secluded village with a passenger foot ferry.
The site was excellent, although very large. Facilities were spotless and there was an excellent atmosphere.
A wonderful location in the heart of the forest. Great walks and great views.
We have stayed here before and returned with fond memories of our visit. The furthest field, which has the best views, was closed off (not sure why), but what the heck, it was a one night stay and just me and my son trying out our new three man tent.
We pitched the new tent and went for a walk to Symonds Yat (a fantastic walk) only to return to the scurge of the UK campsite. We had pitched close to an all male group who had clearly taken to the lager mid afternoon. By 7.00pm they were swearing and shouting, kicking a football against tents and cars, and being generally abusive. This went on until we nodded off to the sound of swearing and shouting. Why do campsites admit such groups??
The toilet and shower facilities are tired and a little dirty. Perhaps they are not cleaned as often as they would be in the height of the season.
The area is great but I cannot recommend this site based on this experience. Without the drunken group it may well have been a different experience.
We stayed here for 2 nights and it rained oh boy did it rain!
The toilet and shower block was clean, even in the down pour.
The surrounding area (forest) is astounding, its a beautiful area.
The only problem we had was the stony ground we must of taken twice as long pitching just due to trying to peg down. The ground was really stony and we bent quite a few pegs due to this.
Visited this site over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The site is large and is well located to visit the Forest of Dean, Symonds Yat and to go canoeing on the Wye.
The place was packed though with in many instances less than the fire regulated 6 meter gap between tents. The ground was mostly sloping.
The toilets especially the gents were awful. They stank and were very basic. For a site supporting over 500 units, they should have had more toilets and cleaned them more than once a day.
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Common Questions
Is Bracelands Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Bracelands Campsite? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
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The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <5 miles 
Wild Swimming <5 miles 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <1 mile 
Golf <5 miles 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
Watersports <5 miles 
Boat Launch / Mooring <5 miles 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Open All Year 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
We stayed for a weekend in July, we booked a standard pitch as we wanted the freedom to pitch wherever we liked rather than being tied to an EHU point, but in practice the site is so sloped that it is very tricky to find a pitch which is practical.
