Forest Holidays Blackwood Forest

I enjoyed the holiday overall and would recommend it to able-bodied friends. The lodge was lovely and was wheelchair accessible. I loved the hot tub with hoist, particularly that it had a remote so I could exit on my own if I wanted to. The hob and kitchen sink were lowered and had space underneath so worked well. The oven was a bit tricky, the door opened to the left which blocked you from putting it straight on the worksurface. Also they have tea towels but no oven gloves. The master bedroom’s ensuite is not wheelchair accessible but the central wet-room is. The wet-room had plenty of rails, a fold down shower stool, everything you expect from a hotel or lodge bathroom. I loved my stay as it was so peaceful and quiet in the woods and the scenery is lovely. It worked well for me because I’m someone who loves staying at the lodge almost all day but you aren’t able to really do much if you don’t have access to a car (and we didn’t). The park, however, is not accessible at all. Minus the area surrounding your lodge and a little bit around the Reception, all paths/roads are uneven terrain made up of mud and rocks. You have to basically wheelie the whole way if using a wheelchair. And if your balance is unsteady on crutches good luck. There are also some steep slopes to accompany this. I expected the forest trails to be like this but I was disappointed there wasn't an accessible path from the wheelchair accessible lodge to reception. I would only go back with an all terrain wheelchair/power assist. We tried an archery session which was a nightmare to get to because of the terrain but the actual activity was fun. We also did some pottery painting at reception (this wasn’t a class, the stuff needed is just all available at reception if/when you wish to do it) but this was definitely geared more towards kids than adults. The shop had a bit of a weird selection but had the basics and I like knick-knacks.

We booked a wheelchair accessible cabin which had a hoist for the hot tub. When we checked in we were offered a hoist to use inside the cabin as well. There was a ramp into the cabin as well as a ramp at the emergency exit. Level access throughout and space under the hob to get close. Wet room had grab rails, a low sink, a shower seat and an emergency alarm. There was plastic beakers for use in the hot tub but I was able to use these for general drinking as I cant lift glasses. It was a lovely place that met my access needs and I'll be going to other forest holiday locations.