Hoseasons’ Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest is a budget Center Parcs-style holiday park in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire – and it’s a hit with people who know about it
Want to catch wind of whether the kids are on a school break right now?
Have a look at Center Parcs’ website where they’ve got a dead handy gadget. If you’ve got to pawn an organ to afford a quick getaway, then yes, they’re off school.
On the other hand, if scrimping the dosh together doesn’t have you seeing double, that means the littluns are hitting the books – a breath of fresh air back when my two kids were younger.
Nowadays, as much I’d love a bit of R&R at Center Parcs, shelling out those prices is a no-go for me.
Hence, we scouted out a plan B for a couple of days during the most recent school break and, after nixing Airbnb which seems to be asking an arm and a leg these days, we settled for something I’d never given a whirl before – a Hoseasons spot tucked away in Sherwood Forest.
To be more precise, we chose Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest, cozied up next to Rufford Abbey Country Park right off Rufford Lane. Our past escapades with Hoseasons had been a tad peculiar – not rubbish, but just a tinge odd, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
Still haunted by the time some kiddies show was so bone-chilling my little lad was kept awake over fear of “the demon pig”.
Despite those jitters, it was a steal at £250 for a two-night stay smack dab in the belly of Sherwood Forest, plus they welcomed pets, so our new pup came along for his first ever holiday.
With the dog crate in tow, we trotted up north and straight off, it was clear why this place was well-liked. The setting? Absolutely beautiful.
The site, while not massive, is centred around a large wooden castle housing several props from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, including a trebuchet, wagon and the belfry, which is located in the reception area itself.
Unfortunately, Kevin Costner isn’t present to give archery lessons, but each prop is accompanied by informative signs, which I found incredibly exciting. The fact that I was unaware of this until I stumbled upon it is typical Hoseasons, but it certainly added an element of intrigue to my evening dog walk.
I can’t imagine many others had to prevent their dog from urinating on a Hollywood film prop during their half-term holiday.
Aside from the lack of Costner, the site’s amenities are somewhat basic. There’s no bar (given the site’s small size), but there is an indoor playground, badminton court, basketball court and croquet area for those who can’t resist honing their croquet skills away from home.
There’s also a small pool, although it bore a striking resemblance to a prop from Prince of Thieves. The fact that my children weren’t tempted to swim in it, despite usually jumping at any opportunity to swim, suggests it wasn’t particularly inviting.
However, we didn’t visit for the pool; Sherwood Forest offers plenty to keep a young family entertained, and our main focus was the accommodation, which was more than satisfactory. We stayed in a log cabin with two bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, a log burner and a functioning TV.
We quickly ran out of hot water, necessitating a trip to reception. However, after being advised to take shorter showers, we adjusted our routine accordingly.
It wasn’t a major issue, but it might be helpful to include instructions on how to use the hot water and information about the tank’s capacity in the kitchen’s information book.
Just a heads up, some of the lodges are large and come with hot tubs and bars. On our second night, a stag or hen party arrived and were belting out Abba tunes on the karaoke until 11pm.
It wasn’t overly loud though, and compared to some of the places we’ve stayed in Skeg Vegas, it was quite tranquil.
Would we go back? Possibly. It was affordable, well-located, and the accommodation was a solid 7/10.
It’s clearly not Center Parcs, despite initial appearances, but I only spotted one Dry Robe during our two-day break, so it’s not all doom and gloom.
