Things to do & places to go

Symonds Yat Rock Lodge is surrounded by beautiful countryside, rivers, forest, historic market towns, castles, fun things to do and fabulous places to eat.

Information Sources:

A wide selection of tourist information leaflets, walk routes and guide books is available in the Dining Room.

Tourist information web sites:

Forest of Dean

Herefordshire and Wye Valley

Gloucestershire and Cotswolds

Monmouth and Wye Valley (1)

Monmouth and Wye Valley (2)

Symonds Yat East

Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Wye Valley & Forest of Dean Tourism Assoc.

Wildlife

Fallow deer, wild boar, peregrine falcons, buzzards and the endangered forest white butterfly are just some of the things to see. And plant life is just as exciting, visit for the bluebells or to see the autumn colours.

Bird watching: as well as the peregrine falcons nesting at Symonds Yat Rock you may be lucky enough to see goshawks, osprey, red kites, kestrels, sparrowhawks and treecreepers. Barn owls hunt in the field behind the Lodge and you will hear and see the buzzards circling and ravens in the Forest. The RSPB man the Rock in spring and summer.

Walking and Cycling

We are part of the Walkers Welcome and Cyclists Welcome schemes and provide bicycle storage and washing facilities (you can even have bikes delivered to your door). We have a selection of walk books and leaflets for you to borrow, and OS Explorer Map OL14 is recommended.

Symonds Yat is on the Wye Valley Walk; part of the Forest of Dean's hundreds of miles of foot, cycle and bridle path and adjacent to Offa's Dyke Walk and The Gloucestershire Way.

Here are links to just a few of the routes in the area:

Wye Valley Walk

Cycling routes

Wysis Way

The Peregrine Path

Walking in Hereford

Activities

Symonds Yat Rock Lodge is the ideal base for activities - from gentle strolls to rope rides and caving. Below are just a few suggestions:

• Canoeing or cruising the Wye
• Rock climbing on the Yat
• Fishing on the River, or Grange Spring Fishing Lakes
• Golf at quality courses from Woodlake Park Golf Club and its views to the Ryder Cup course at Celtic Manor
• Llama trekking
• High wire at Go Ape!
• Quad biking or mountain boarding

Check out www.active.visitforestofdean.co.uk

Please click here for links to the above and many further activities:

Places To Go

Head out in any direction for sightseeing, shopping, attractions, historic market towns and beautiful pink stone villages.

Within walking distance of Symonds Yat Rock Lodge are:

• Symonds Yat Rock • Forest of Dean • Wye River and Symonds Yat East - comprising pubs, cafés, canoeing and hand ferry.

Below are just a few suggestions for places to explore a bit further afield:

• Monmouth historic town and shopping • Goodrich Castle • Amazing Hedge Puzzle • Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo • Puzzlewood • Walled market town Ross-on-Wye • Hay-on-Wye with its famous bookshops • Tintern Abbey and antique shops • Brecon Beacons

Please click here for further attractions and links:

Food and Drink

There are plenty of great places to eat and drink, some of which are destinations in their own right.

Please click here for a selection of local pubs and restaurants, ranging from good pub food to Michelin starred.

Events

Events include:

• Abergavenny Food & Drink Festival • Hay Book Festival • badger watching and fungi forays in the Forest • Newent Onion Fayre • International rugby under an hour away in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

 

 

Events links:

• The Forest of Dean
• Herefordshire
• Monmouthshire
• South East Wales