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I have visited the site on several occasions, but not for about ten years. We decided to come back as we wanted another opportunity to explore the fantastic Forest of Dean. Unfortunately, whilst in the past the site was geared towards camping and caravaning, with a touch of other lodgings, this is no longer the case.
The site is now fully geared towards those staying in chalets and flats. The rest of the open spaces are dedicated to touring caravans (which seem to have been given good reviews). Unfortunately this means that the camping area has been left to the top corner of the site and is all up on a slope. There are very few camping pitches and we were the only tent there (October might have been something to do with it).
Facilities are very good, camping appears to be merely a side-note. It is a very 'busy' place. There are lots of things to do there, but if you are there to explore the forest then you don't really need two swimming pools, several bars, nightclubs etc to entertain you.
Whitemead Park is however an excellent location to explore the Forest, with many paths leading from the site itself. Everything is fairly nearby and you couldn't hope for much more when wanting a good base.
In spite of this, it has all become quite impersonal and because of the lack of attention that camping now attracts here I would be unlikely to camp there again.
We arrived following 5 days of solid rain according to campers packing up, who had been literally floating in their tents on fluid mud!The sun was out on our arrival and the mud was working up a particularly unpleasant manure smell, which remained for the week whenever the weather got warm!
Those leaving told us they had been several times before but never pitched on this particular area - The Mead. This area has apparently only been turned into pitches over the last couple of years and the ground was never prepared properly so consequently with little or no drainage it turns into a swamp in bad weather. Our particular pitch no.102 was ok, a little muddy, but we just pitched slightly over to one side to avoid. Slight slope for those pitches in this area.
Other areas seems to have faired a lot better with little or no mud. Pitches well spaced but no landscaping between most.
Adequate number of good hot and powerful showers etc. In two blocks, but not always as clean as they could be - this was partly down to the mud, recent grass cuts and people letting their children use the shower facilities on their own without advising them of good manners in cleaning up for the next person - more than one mop would help too!
Wash-up area good and launderette too.
Overall site layout good with some lovely scenery and beautiful walks and views.
Entertainment good although music went on a little too late for our liking, some nights midnight and very loud! considering we were one of the furthest pitches away! Good mixture of entertainment.
Restaurant food good and reasonably priced. Pool lovely with steam room and sauna free - change rooms very good.
Shop well stocked and reasonably priced.
Games room good with plenty to keep our teenagers entertained - air hockey, table football, and outside badminton and table tennis.
Overall a good site - good location for Forest of Dean activites ( cycling facilities are a must) good facililites and pitches generally good. However if we returned we would avoid The Mead area.
Visited here again in July, we have been here many times in the past, mainly because the children love the indoor pool and evening entertainment. Overall this site is good, but the toilets need a complete overall. They are not clean, very small shower cubicles. There is a major problem with drainage on this site, we stayed on pitch 34 and although it did rain for a couple of days the pitch was like a mud bath and did not dry out at all for the 10 days we were there, the people on pitch 33 complained and were told, well count yourselves lucky some camp sites are completely flooded, not the attitude bearing in mind the prices they charge for the pitches.
Will visit here again, but will make sure it is on a hard standing pitch, but they really need to be careful as there were a lot of unhappy people on site saying they would never return again.
Just returned from a relaxing 7 night trip to Whitemead & thoroughly impressed. There are things to do & see in the area but it is safe to say that you could also stay on site (as we did most of the time) & not get bored. Setting is very picturesque with loads of greenbelt for kids to play on. There is also a v nice on site bar with sky sports & wi-fi connection for adults wishing to escape!
We booked a caravan pitch as designated tent area was full & in hindsight pleased it was as on slight incline & not all had electric hook-up. Majority of campers used caravan pitches. Onsite leisure & entertainment facilities great for young families - nightly disco's etc for the young ones & adult entertainment from 9.30pmish (tribute acts to illusionists). Pool / jacuzzi / steam-room & sauna excellent. Spa/beauty parlour next to pool with reasonable prices. Daily daytime entertainment available too (from making pencil cases to laser gun combat games). Small Londis shop on site & fairly well stocked (we stocked up at the local Tesco in nearby Lydney which was a 10 min drive offsite).
Onsite restaurant (by night)/cafe (by day) was excellent value. Very reasonably priced & extensive menu (paid more for a meal in Fountain pub around the corner from site). Can highly recommend the huge creamed scone & tea/coffee! And staff very friendly & helpful.
Log cabins & apartments looked v nice & fitted well with the surrounding.
Grass pitches had suffered with the amount of rain from our typical british summer (although we were blessed for the full week) & we weren't able to use our original pitch. Ground was quite bad but I suspect with the high turnaround of this v popular site, it never really got a chance to recover.
There were 2 toilet blocks - 1 situated next to the caravan/camping pitches & the other down beside the log cabins. The latter being the cleanest & nicest. The one nearest the campers was constantly busy & more often than not dirty (from the mud & grass trailed in). Very disappointed with the showers as there were only 3, which were absolutely tiny. Had a nightmare showering my 2 young daughters in there. There was also not enough room or pegs to hang clothes etc (clothes often got wet) & the water overspilled onto the floor. We were tipped off by a cleaner that there were plans to build a new block up near the designated camping field. Lets hope they put more showers in & ones big enough to actually turn around!
All told we were very impressed at how well this site is run & other than the size & lack of showers, I would highly recommend a stay here. We will definitely come back sooner rather than later.
We stayed at Whitemead for 10 days in the top field on a grass pitch. Having been several times before we knew the site fairly well and the facilities were as good as the last times - nice pool, restaurant, bar etc.
Unfortunately we also happened to be there when it was raining a lot and discovered one of the downsides of this site - the pitches don't drain very well, in fact hardly at all. Our awning floor was just sludgy mud from the day we arrived until the day we left, despite there being several days of blazing sunshine when we opened the sides right up. The lady in reception pointed out that they'd had unexpectedly high levels of rainfall and some other local sites had been completely washed out, but that wasn't really the point. Other sites we've been to have had lots of rain but it soaks into the ground and drains away. I don't know if they have clay soil or something but the water likes to stay where it is. It'd help if they got the grass mowed a little more often - it was over 3in long when we arrived and was finally mowed the day before we left - because this just holds the rainwater and makes it all more swampy. It wasn't just us, our neighbours had the same problem and lots of other people, especially those in tents, were suffering.
There are so many nice things about this site to recommend it - location, facilities, friendly helpful staff. I just wish they would spend some time and money on fixing the annoying little things. On the other hand, they seem to have no problem getting all the bookings they need so, commercially speaking, why should they bother? But they're charging near the top end of the scale for their pitches and, when I compare it to the cost of a full service pitch (your own electric, drinking water tap, grey water waste, freeview TV hookup) at somewhere like Sandy Balls in Dorset (one of our other favourite haunts), it doesn't look such great value.
We'll probably come back for the odd long weekend in future, but no more long family stays. But don't let me put you off. It's a beautiful site with good facilities and is especially good for those with younger families. Also, as several others have pointed out, you have the marvellous Go Ape just 10 mins up the road, which is a fantastic morning/afternoon for anyone young or old who doesn't mind heights!
The local area itself seems quite run down, which is understandable when you realise it was a big mining area and has had little subsequent investment since that all got shut down. Compared to Ross-on-Wye and Symonds Yat, 20 mins up the road, it's a world apart. Because of this, we had a lot of trouble finding a pub with decent food, but this time I think we struck gold. I can thoroughly recommend the Dog & Muffler, up Joyford Hill, in Berry Hill, North of Coleford. Don't ask me for directions, it'd be too hard! Find their website (I don't think there are any other UK pubs with that name) and use Google Maps. Anyway, the food is very good, a little pricey for pub food I suppose, but a beautiful pub with a lovely garden, some decent beers on tap and all in all we had 2 really good evenings there.
PS - for a previous reviewer who said they thought the site was only 5 years old, I didn't know any better but my neighbour tells me he used to go camping there with his parents thirty years or more ago when they had an outdoor pool and a little clubhouse! It's been owned by CSMA for a long time.
Whitemead is just a short 30 minute drive from home for us but we were eager for a 'close to home' site for a weekend trip which would enable us to leave work on Friday evening, get on-site, set-up quickly and so be able to enjoy a relatively long weekend.
First impressions are excellent with the site looking smart, modern (I believe it's only 5 years old) and set in beautiful woodland. The site has a mixture of caravan and camping plus woodland lodges and apartments (all of which look very welcoming). They are all blended tastefully and so the site feels very spacious and airy.
The caravan and camping is split principally into three areas with the main caravan and camping field which has level tiered pitches on an open field (with tarmac service road), a rally field which is a short distance across from the main field and a small area (called The Dell) which has semi-hard standing / gravel pitches which are separated by hedging.
There is a toilet block by the main camping field and a toilet block by The Dell. Each has 3 showers (3 for men and 3 for ladies!), toilets and separate wash areas. Again they are relatively new and modern. The showers are slightly too small for changing in and certainly in the Dell had a tendency for water to escape onto the floor. That said they were always clean and never overly used (possibly because of the high number of caravans).
The site has a main 'entertainment' complex which includes a heated pool, cafe and restaurant , sports bar, beauty salon and 'club'. All are free to use as part of your pitch fee.
The pool is large and includes steam room, sauna and jacuzzi.
The cafe is at the centre of the venue and is self service during the day selling breakfasts, mid morning snacks, afternoon teas and takeaway. Prices were reasonable without being cheap. In the evening the cafe becomes a smart table service restaurant and again the food is of high quality and reasonable prices (for a restaurant).
Alongside the restaurant is the sports bar, glass fronted with stylish leather seating and large LCD TV. It has a very relaxing outside area which looks over the large playing field and camping fields.
The restaurant and sports bar combined add a level of sophistication to the whole site in the evening.
In addition to all of the above is the 'club' (or more aptly called The Venue) which has live entertainment every evening (usually a children's disco and games) and on weekends include a live band of some description. Drink prices are not overly expensive.
Other facilities include a children's play area which whilst not being the best is still adequate and of course the surrounding forest with lots of short walks directly from the site.
The surrounding area has a multitude of things to do including Go Ape, Clearwell Caves, Beachenhurst Lodge (forest centre), Pedalabikeaway (with access to 9 mile family cycle trail), Puzzlewood, Mallards Pike Lake, Little Follies (soft play), Dick Whittington Centre (farm park and soft play) the list goes on and on and as we live in the area we've visited most of them. You're also within 30 minutes of Ross-on-Wye, Cheltenham and Gloucester.
All in all I would highly recommend the site although I would add that it does get booked up very early so advance booking is required.
One useful feature is that if no one is booked onto your pitch on your date of departure you can either stay until 12:00pm for free (usual departure time is 11:0am) or pay an extra £5 to stay until 6:00pm which means you can extend your stay to a full weekend.
There are a list of rules and regulations in terms of pitching and most people stick to these however they aren't rigorously enforced.
All in all a fantastic site and one we'll undoubtedly visit on a regular basis
Visited he park last week for the third time. Site facilities are pretty good and generally kept in good order apart from no obvious checking of the camping/caravanning facilities. At a grey waste water disposal point the tap was constantly leaking all week. Swimming pool and gym kept in good order which kept both the kids and the adults happy. Restaurant and bar good value for money. Shop pretty basic but has the essentials. Surrounding area great for cycling and walking. Local cycle centre very helpful. Go Ape attraction fantastic. Main improvement point is security as we had 2 mountain bikes stolen from behind our caravan which were locked to the fence, on warning a few other visitors 2 had had bikes stolen before! Be warned
Great site and swimming pool. The activities for the children well run. Food in the restaurant / take away good quality although a little pricey for some (£1.65 for a small portion of Chips). Bar very comfortable with large screen TV and also heated patio area. Shower / toilet block had plenty of hot water and was regularly cleaned. Small shop on site had the basics and you could order a daily paper. Tesco's in Lydney (3miles),coop & Somerfields in Coleford (4miles)
The bad bits.
People not cleaning up after themselves at the washing up sinks (food in plug holes etc)
Toilet block is sited by the Caravan pitches so it's a fair walk if you are on the Tent pitches.
Washing machine was useless didn't even get mud off clothes (£2.00 a wash) and the Tumble dryer (50p for 15mins) sounded like it was about to fall to bits and looked like it had been involved in a car accident!
The site has a fair number of rules which seem to be ignored and when mentioned to staff they were not bothered. For example 5mph speed limit a number of cars ignoring this and with children about (ours included) very dangerous. Only one car per pitch, no washing lines, Dogs on a lead and mess to be cleaned up, one person we saw exercising her dog in the basket ball court!
You can't get onto your pitch until 2pm, we saw people pitching as early as 11am then waiting until 2pm to register. My parents had their caravan on site at the same time as us and asked if they could stay on a bit longer after the 11am departure time. They were told that's ok but only till 12 noon as the pitch was booked. Guess who turned up at 11.15am the new people!
Overall a great site only marred by those who abused the rules. Hoping to return in October half term
Whitemead is set in the forest of dean with stunning surroundings. Spacious pitches with nice clean toilet and shower blocks, woodland walks, fabulous swimming pool with sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. Relaxed atmosphere in the modern sports bar and a great club house) Negative side is there is no mobile phone signal, nor freeview and poor tv signal, which is not the campsites fault but due to the forest. Would definitely recommend this site, although as other reviewers have mentioned, you will have to book well in advance.
Had a really nice relaxing week here just me and my daughter. Very beautiful place, nice walks and the lambs by the road side as you near the site are so cute. I couldn't believe it! enjoyed the use of swimming pool, sauna, steam room & jacuzzi, very relaxing! Showers and toilets were spotless and warm. I will definitely be going back with my boyfriend and rest of the kids.
We only had one night at this site, but would have liked to stay longer. The time of year meant there were a lot of vacant pitches, so lovely and quiet. There are also lodges on this site, which seemed to be well booked up. Very nice pool area (water a bit cold though - everyone was hogging the jacuzzis!), bar area and restaurant - we had lovely meal there. There is an entertainment bar next door - they had some kids entertainment on, plus a couple of singers later on. It was a nice surprise to have entertainment in low season - only weekends though I think. There is a nice woodland walk at top of site, and a cycle path starts not far from entrance. Looks like they have lots of activities on during school holidays, but to be honest I'd recommend this for somewhere to visit out of season (even though we have children). There is small shop, but didn't use it so can't comment on it! Only small criticism is that there is no motorhome service point - apparently something to do with water pressure I think. All in all, definitely one to visit again (and again!)
This is a lovely well run and well kept campsite, with very good facilities. Some lovely walks from the campsite. No extra cost to use swimming pool and facilities, entertainment was good. A very enjoyable stay had by all 12 people in our party from ages 21 months up to 60 years old.
Lydney is a very short drive away, with a Tesco's, Co-op, somerfield and many more shops and the chippy was really good too! Although we were suppose to vacate our pitch at 11am as no-one was booked to come on our pitch we could stay free til 1.00pm or pay 5 pounds to stay til 6pm. Will definitely be returning
This site is not easy to book into, its that good, there are down points, but only minor.
Went for 2 weeks.
Pool is excellent, in the pool area you have 2 spas, sauna and a steam room.
Playground is ok
Water was always hot for the washing up and showers were hot too.
Food in the restraunt is OK, it could be better.
Entertainment was good.
Shop was ok, bit small, there is a tesco 4 miles away though in Lydney.
Pitches were spacious
Scenery was beautiful, rabbits squirrels were near our pitch so we used to watch them.
Fishing ponds nearby.
Woodman pub a walkaway, never went there but loads raved about the food.
Littledean jail is worth a visit, very weird place but a good attraction.
The bad bits
Washing up facility is a bit of a walk (depending were you are pitched)
Hook up, lucky we had our camping lead otherwise we would have been short, again depends were you are pitched.
There isnt anywhere to park up if you get there early (caravan), so arrive at 2pm and you should bet straight onto your pitch.
Caravanners book 12 months in advance so dont expect to get a pitch with short notice, you may get a picth if stopping for a night or two (this is in august)
Just returned from this site spent 6 nights here. When we booked in May I was told that we would have to change pitches after 3 nights to another pitch as that was the only way they could fit us in, I agreed as this site had been recommended. When we arrived I asked if there had been any cancellations so we would not have to move pitches and was told no. I noticed that there was no-one on the pitch we would have to move to and this remained the same until the day we moved pitches, I did ask at reception why we could'nt have had this pitch from the start and the lady was less than helpful.
We were pitched on the Dell which is at the lower end of the site and the toilets here were less than impressive, one of the worst we have come across, the first morning we went to the showers and the ladies were almost flooded the toilets were not clean and showers were unclean. My husband said the mens were even worse, the first shower he went into had vomit in and the other 2 were very dirty which he had to clean before he could use.
There is a laundry room which is reasonably priced at £2 for a wash and 50p for the tumble dryer.
On the good side the site is excellent for children we have a 3 and 4 year old and they enjoyed, the park is good but more for older children, the swimming pool which we used every day was brill and warm, like the other reviewer we used the showers at the pool for the rest of our stay. Entertainment in the venue for the children is good and prices not too bad. Other daytime activities are well priced and good for all ages. We did not try any of the food but it looked nice and again not overly priced. On site shop is ok for essentials albeit over priced, if you want a newspaper get there early as they dont order many.
We have booked again for August bank holiday week, this time at the top of the site, hopefully toilet/showers up there are better than down the dell.
Dean steam railway is only a couple of miles away but if you want a ride on a steam train make sure it is running as it is being repaired, when we arrived and paid for the tickets we were not told it was not a steam train but a diesel and you are charged the same and it is not cheap.
Would definitely recommend this site especially if you have children because of the facilities, even in the wet weather there is always something to do indoors.
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Common Questions
Is Whitemead Forest Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Whitemead Forest Park have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Whitemead Forest Park? 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
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
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 
No 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 
Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
Evening Entertainment 
No Fishing 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool On Site 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <1 mile 
Golf <5 miles 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
No Watersports 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <5 miles
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
I have visited the site on several occasions, but not for about ten years. We decided to come back as we wanted another opportunity to explore the fantastic Forest of Dean. Unfortunately, whilst in the past the site was geared towards camping and caravaning, with a touch of other lodgings, this is no longer the case.
