Write your own Review to win £150 of Amazon Vouchers!
If you've ever visited this campsite please submit a review for your chance to win! Each month one lucky person will have their review picked at random and will win £150 of Amazon vouchers. Leave as many reviews as you can for more chances - it only takes a few minutes
Pre booked 4 nights on a premium pitch (includes EHU) a week before trip. Arrived and booked in with no problems had a number of pitches to chose from, views are quite good from the premium pitches as they are all on higher ground. Non EHU are on a lower level which may get water logged in wet weather. There are numerous water points around the site, there are 3 shower blocks lower 2 are a bit dated but plenty of hot water and clean, on the last morning there was no water to any of the blocks, wardens were working on the problem when we struck camp but they ended up flooding middle block cannot say what the final outcome was? Plenty of rubbish bins around the site but not much in the way of recycling.
Found the reception very helpful after a small accident. I asked about the nearest A & E (20 miles away) and they printed me off directions to nearest Small Injury Clinic 6 miles away which I found to be most useful.
On the River Wye there is Canoeing and boat trips, also near-by are plenty of tourist attractions. The area is great for walking and cycling along the forest tracks.
We stayed here in early August having booked an EHU for a tent with two adults and two children. We arrived on Sunday and left on Saturday.
The scenery is fantastic and the walks in the woods are lovely (esp. Biblins Bridge)
There are very few places on the Bracelands site that are level and the EHU pitches are quite close together. The standard pitches had a bit more space and it seemed that you could pitch more or less were you liked - as long as you were 6m from the next unit.
The toilet blocks are quite old and the men's urinal constantly stank of urine; locks on some of the doors were missing and on the odd occasion toilet-roll was missing from the cubicles. There was, however, plenty of hot water in the showers and dish-wash rooms. There was some queueing in women's shower and dish-washing area on a couple of occasions during busy periods.
It was fairly quiet though the week apart from a couple of yobs riding bikes between the pitches - very close to our BBQ and Swing-Ball, and over the EHU line - despite being asked not to. When we asked the staff for help, the ranger just didn't want to know and was quite off hand - it took three phone calls before anyone would come over to the pitch. The site staff just shrugged their shoulders and said they couldn't do anything
On the plus side, we did see deer in the woods on a couple of occasions - which the kids loved. Monmouth and Ross are lovely and we walked from Bracelands to Monmouth, had a pub lunch and caught the bus back to the site entrance.
Arrived around midday on a Friday To a very busy Reception. I was a little disheartened to find that the pre paid ticket I had, still meant I had to que with the masses but after about 20 Mins all was OK. We opted for hook up this time which limited our options for a pitch. I would say unless you really need hook up I would opt for not as there are some much better private pitches around the edges of the site.
The site is very pretty with the woods to the back. The site was very busy and a hive of children and play areas. To be expected the first weekend of the summer hols! The toilet and shower facilities were ok but I have to say that they were not the best I have seen for 3 stars but plenty of hot water. Just didn't seem really clean and a bit tatty round the edges. The shop was ok but through high volume soon ran out of a lot of things but there is a tesco and summerfield in Coleford which is only about 5 mins in the car.The surrounding area is simply outstanding and we did around 20miles on the bikes through woods and along the river Wye.
A good time had but on the more expensive side I would expected a little more for the money. I would avoid the middle of the site if your not an early riser as well as the roads soon turn into kiddies racetracks.
So all in all a fair site in a nice part of the world.
We've just completed our first camping trip at Bracelands and were quite impressed. The other reviews here give an accurate portrayal of the site, which was really helpful for us - no nasty surprises!
We arrived on the Wednesday afternoon and 'checked in' at Christchurch - it only took us about 5 minutes (as others have said - be ready with £10 in cash for the barrier key). We were allowed to pitch wherever we liked on Bracelands, and there was lots of choice. Eventually we chose a flat pitch on top of the hill at the far end of the site - there were only about 5 tents on the entire top field so we had lots of space.
Unfortunately, the facilities block nearest our tent was out of order, but we were told about this twice before we pitched near it - we didn't mind the 5 min walk to the next one. Showers were a good temperature and I didn't mind pressing the button every 30 seconds - this is camping after all! A free hot shower is something of a luxury.
Although we had a flat pitch, it was rather exposed to the wind and rain, and I wonder whether the pitches further down, although on a slope, would have been better sheltered from the elements.?
Our dog was made to feel very welcome, and it really was a spaniel heaven for him. The site was very quiet on the Wednesday on Thursday. On the Friday it filled up quite dramatically, and by 9pm we had tents pitched both sides of us. Still had some space but people didn't always obey the '6 metre' rule. It got a little noisy on the Friday night with lots of big groups, but things seemed to go quiet after midnight. I have to say though, we preferred the quieter nights and were glad to be leaving on the Saturday!
As for the area - it's great. You walk straight off the site and into the forest - miles and miles of tracks to explore. We very rarely bumped into other people when we were out and about. We had a couple of emergencies - needing to buy a new dog collar and also pay a trip to the local health centre. Both times Coleford came up trumps and we found everything we needed there. Including a nice little takeaway on the night it rained incessantly.
So, would we return? Yes, I think so. But probably not at peak times, and when we do - we'll find a more sheltered pitch!
We've just come back from a weekend at this campsite and had a great time. The views were fantastic, we had a good selection of EHU pitches as we got there around 1pm on the Friday. All were pretty level and the soil depth was good so no bent tent pegs.
The toilet blocks, (3 of them) although a bit tatty looking were fairly clean, the showers were good with plenty of hot water, the only problem was you have to continually push the button because they don't seem to last very long.
Washing up facilities were as required, although very busy at peak times of the day. Other facilities Including water, waste & litter all in easy reach from everywhere which made for a convenient and comfortable stay.
Locally there is plenty to do for young families.
We went to the Perrygrove railway and had a lovely time there, hunting down the clues for the treasure hunt. The steam trains were a big hit and everyone there was very friendly and helpful.
The campsite is a short drive away from the amazing Symonds Yat and Yat rock, with fantastic views over the Wye Valley.
All in all a lovely spacious site, facilities are basic but good and its in a beautiful setting.
This is my first visit to Bracelands but my fourth to that area as the last twice we have stayed at Christchurch.
We live in Bristol so very easy to get to and were there by 4.30 on the Friday afternoon.
Sadly as usual the queue at reception always makes the start of the experience rather stressful. For some reason it always seems to be a shock to them that people are there!
The receptionists however are very polite and courteous and do make you feel as though you are checking in for a holiday which is nice.
We picked the furthest away spot in the campsite at the top of the hill as we wanted to camp with some other families.
View gorgeous, spot lovely. However they do need to get the point that loo blocks need to be cleaned. I fully appreciate that it had been raining and that you will always get grass but that does not excuse the loos themselves which were unpleasant, often dirty and usually unflushed. Also bearing in mind there is a swine flu epidemic and we are ment to be hygiene aware they did not once fill up the soap dispensers, so much for hygiene.
I have stayed in this area before, but never in a tent and never at Bracelands. It is a fantastic spot. The facilities are excellent, clean and tidy and lots of hot water. The wardens are very helpful, including when I booked Christchurch campsite instead on Bracelands on line, it was changed with no fuss at all.
The woods are fantastic lots of walks and bike rides, if you want to stretch your legs on the hills you can, if you are feeling less energetic I would recommend taking your bike to Cannop Ponds and picking up the cycle trail here for 10 miles of fairly flat terrain. If you are motorhoming it is worth mentioning that all the car parks are free of barriers (hooray), if you are staying for a week I would recommend the weekly car parking pass, for only 10 pounds (this may have increased) you can park in any of the Forest Car parks all week, available at beechenhurst lodge. The sculpture trail starts here also and is a good way to aquaint yourself with the forest. Symonds Yat is a must and a nice bit of homemade cake can be found at the food kiosk here along with hot and cold sandwiches, well worth a visit. It is worth plodding down the hill to the pub and the hand ferry below the yat, however be warned you need good lungs for the journey back to the top. From Bracelands you can walk to the Yat cross the river at the hand ferry and make your way back via Bilbins Bridge and back to camp, map recommended. Staying just once is a must, you will be back for more!
This site is in a great location for visiting the Forest of Dean, Symonds Yat is only a few minutes drive and you can walk to the River Wye from the site.
It has a small site shop with plenty of information. The local town has basic shops, everything you need.
The site has adequate facilities which are always well maintained. Showers are free and there are plenty of them. Washing up etc is also good. There is a security gate, you need a £10 refundable deposit for the key - this is to keep out the wild boar!
There is no playground, but there is so much space that the kids have plenty of room for a frisby, football etc.
We would highly recommend this site for visiting the forest and local area.
I have been visiting this site for many years in a small backpacking tent but this was my first visit with young children in a group of families and it still didn't fail to disappoint. Washing facilities were basic but clean and plentiful (I don’t think I have ever had to queue). The shop is well stocked and sells most things you need. The staff are professional and personable and it is in a great location. My only negative comment is the lack of a decent pub within walking distance from it as even the bravest of souls would be loathed to walk back through the woods from Symonds Yat in the dark. I will be back again!
We spent 3 nights (our first visit) during the late May school holidays and were very impressed. The staff are very friendly and even though they were rushed off their feet they always had a smile and were happy to 'join in the fun'.
All the facilities were clean and in full working order. The ground was in perfect condition (even after a weekend of heavy rain) and it's really easy to pitch (no stones at all).
The atmosphere in the site was excellent and everyone stuck to the rules except for the last night when a group were making a lot of noise (and nothing seemed to be done about it).
The walks in the local woods are just fantastic. You can be down by the banks of the river Wye in 30 minutes and the bird song in the early evening is beautiful.
We will be returning very soon - this time with our push bikes.
We've just had a great 5-day break over the Bank Holiday at Bracelands. Toilets and showers were clean and functional, water always hot (especially in the washing up area), and the rangers were helpful and cheerful despite it being the busiest weekend they could remember. At the time of writing there are also some extremely cute blue tits nesting in an ashtray outside the shop!
But the main selling point of the site is the woods - stroll through any gate at any time of the day (or night) and you're heading through glorious forest which has the Saracen's Head at the end of it.
Symond's Yat Rock, Beechenhurst, Monmouth, Chepstow - all well worth exploring.
Coleford is a couple of miles away and has all the supermarkets you need; and I must also mention the Balti Hut which, despite looking very unprepossessing from the outside, produces some of the best curry I've ever had.
The facilities were absolutely fine and the spot is beautiful. It is a fairly remote site with a 1 mile walk up a fairly steep hill to the Christchurch site with the shop, so if you need the shop nearby Christchurch would be a better bet. IMO the shop is great, selling a good range even of some organic foods.
The only slight criticism would be a certain feeling of over-control of the facilities management, who seemed to check up on you with suspicious glances whenever you entered or left the site. Staff on reception were very pleasant, however.
Okay. Firstly Id like to say we normally love Forest Holiday sites and have never had anything but praise for them. We return time and time again to try out different Forest Holiday's. However on this occasion I felt we may have paid a high price for the views as the facilities were lacking.
Yes the views are outstanding. Breathtaking. The Forest Of Dean is beautiful. So you will not be disappointed if you are going for the scenery.
We arrived at Bracelands on the Thurs before May B/H weekend. We checked into reception at Christchurch, paid our refundable £10 for gate key and went along to the site. Fairly empty, so found a pitch that we liked, we paid for EHU on this occasion. Its quite odd however that the rangers come by and make sure you are pitching the way they want you to. I think this only happens on the EHU pitches. Luckily we chose a pitch away from the toilet block otherwise you were told to pitch with your tent door facing the toilets, how strange when the views the other way are fantastic. There were a whole row of caravans all facing a fence and the toilets.
There are 3 toilet blocks. Fairly old. 1 free hairdryer in ladies, but not working. The toilets were clean on day of arrival (Thurs) however come Saturday, due to being busy there was no toilet roll by 10am. It got messy very quickly.
The shop on the Christchurch site has a Costa coffee. This was out of service. The shop sold alcohol, however, couldn't sell it due to awaiting licence renewal. The food shelves were empty. Again, this was probably because it was a B/H weekend.
I feel we would not return to Bracelands due to the negative things I've mentioned. However the rangers are great, friendly, and helpful, however I feel the other things let the site down.
It's the view towards the Wye Valley that have brought me back here several times but it's not only that:
Good clean toilet blocks (3 of them in high season)along with all other facilities (water, waste, litter)in easy reach from everywhere and make for a convenient and comfortable site.
True, it's some way to the site office and shop at the sister site at Christchurch (about 1 km down the forest road from the entrance gate) but this is only a small gripe.
The £10 deposit for the gate key ensures greater security and on busy mornings one of the wardens is there to collect the keys and refund the tenners to leaving campers saving a stop off at the office on the way out.
Staff have always been friendly and helpful.Even on the busier days on this popular site. I've never encountered problems pitching a tent, the soil depth is good so no bent tent pegs.
The site is surrounded by woodland with a good choice of woodland walks, either around the site, down to the Wye Valley itself or along the top of the valley sides and I've never yet failed to spot the deer that roam these parts. Symonds Yat viewpoint is only about 2.5 miles away while the beautiful village down by the river is about the same too.
The Forest of Dean has plenty to see and do.Cannop Ponds, Mallards Pike, Dean Mining Museum with real mine tour, Sculpture Trail and lots of walking and cycle tracks, Dean Forest Steam Railway and more.
Not been to the sister Christchurch or Woodlands sites on the Berry Hill complex but Bracelands sets a high standard.
We stayed at the end of August, arriving on a Thursday and staying for just two nights.
We found the campsite to be relatively empty as it was a Thursday arrival and the typical British weather had obviously put people off. So we had a good selection of pitches available and eventually chose one that was in the field, furthest from the entrance. It was a pretty level pitch with a short bladder busting run to the toilet block. The block itself, was clean, though did smell a bit, the showers were good and hot and it wasn't too much of a chore to keep re-pressing the button to keep the hot stream of water flowing. Always plenty of toilet paper available, so no panics mid-business! Washing up facilities were also as required, no complaints
Locally there is plenty to do for young families. We made sure we went to Puzzlewood, which was an amazing place, especially as we were there as soon as it opened and so had the wood to ourselves for a while. There are also a few animals there that can be petted if you lean over the fencing. The goats were very friendly!Definitely worth a visit.
We also went to the Perrygrove railway and had a fun few hours there, hunting down the clues for the treasure hunt. The steam trains were great fun and everyone there was very friendly and helpful. Recommended.
We can recommend The Ostrich Inn, in Newlands for food. It is a drive away (10 mins), but it is worth it as there is a good choice of food and again the staff were ever so friendly. Opens at 6:30 in the evenings and I suggest you get there around that time as the tables soon start filling up.
We plan to come back here again, though may try the Christchurch site, as it has a Playground and is right next to the shop.
Still loads of places to visit in this area and we didn't even get a chance to do a walk in the Forest!
Previous
138 Reviews in total, now showing 91 to 105Next
Write a Review of this Site to Win £150 Amazon Vouchers
Write a review of this campsite and you could win £150 of Amazon vouchers. Each month one lucky person will have their review picked at random and will win! Leave as many as you can for more chances - submit your review here
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
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 
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 
Pre booked 4 nights on a premium pitch (includes EHU) a week before trip. Arrived and booked in with no problems had a number of pitches to chose from, views are quite good from the premium pitches as they are all on higher ground. Non EHU are on a lower level which may get water logged in wet weather. There are numerous water points around the site, there are 3 shower blocks lower 2 are a bit dated but plenty of hot water and clean, on the last morning there was no water to any of the blocks, wardens were working on the problem when we struck camp but they ended up flooding middle block cannot say what the final outcome was? Plenty of rubbish bins around the site but not much in the way of recycling.
