Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest

Our dog hurt her foot after falling into an open drain cover behind the lodge. Communal bins were overflowing, the hot tubs didn’t seem to be cleaned regularly, and the windows were very dirty with paint splashed across them. The pool also needs attention. Workers stood outside our lodge smoking for much of the day, and it felt uncomfortable, like the area was being used as a hangout. Inside, the cabin looked lovely at first but was very run down. There were cobwebs throughout, grubby carpets and visible mould in the bathroom. The bunk bed wobbled so much I wouldn’t trust anyone on the top bunk. The toilet was blocked for about 14 hours, then sewage from other caravans backed up into our toilet and bath and flooded the floor. We couldn’t use the bathroom for a long time. We lost half a day waiting for maintenance, and left a day early. When someone finally came, the bath was sprayed but the sewage was left on the floor and around the toilet. The cleanup was completely unacceptable. Since reporting these problems, we’ve had no reply to emails or calls, and the website now seems to have disappeared, which is very concerning. The facilities are run down, and sadly we wouldn’t return.

There’s plenty of woodland to explore and lots to do nearby, including go ape and center pracs. The cabin was cosy and quaint, though mine felt a bit run down. It had a log burner, and since it was -1 at night, they kindly provided fire lighters, matches and logs to get us started on the first night. There were three heaters as well, and they kept the cabin warm. I also had a hot tub, which was well maintained and made things really relaxing. There’s an on-site swimming pool, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It was quite cold, and I found a used plaster in the water. Still, I’d go again.

The location is lovely for a quiet break, and there’s a lot of nice accommodation around. Our lodge had an open fire and was lovely and warm once it was going, but that’s the main source of heat, so we had to buy wood. We hadn’t known that beforehand. The £20 log package was damp and didn’t last a day, so bear that in mind. We booked through wowcha, but they didn’t have our booking when we arrived and had to sort it out quickly. They got the hot tub warmed up in 40 minutes, though, so that wasn’t a problem.

We enjoyed the hot tub and sauna a lot. They were clean, warm and relaxing. A few bits of tree did get into the tub, but that comes with being surrounded by trees and wasn’t a problem for us. The tubs are cleaned twice daily and have their own cleaning setting. The cabin had a very small amount of wear and tear, nothing troubling, despite what some earlier reviews said. Nearby, there are things to do in town, and shops, restaurants and takeaways are a short drive away. We stayed two nights in the spacious, clean 3 bed pondside superior cabin 38, with our own hot tub and sauna. It was peaceful and beautiful, and everything looked as pictured. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We couldn’t work out the sauna, but the out of hour maintaince man arrived within 20 minutes and was kind and helpful. The instructions were clear, and we enjoyed it enough to book an extra day. It was lovely and good value for money. I’d have liked a few more kitchen utensils. I chose not to use the pool because the paintwork needs redoing, though it still looked clean. There seemed to be plenty for children to do. We had a great stay and will definitely book again. We were worried after reading the reviews, but I’m stunned by how negative some of them are. Do not be put off. It was fully worth it.