We could not decide where to go today, but we all wanted to get out of the house. So I gave everyone three choices; the woodland area at Cliveden, a random woodland in north Bucks or here. We’d never been to Salcey Forest before, I’ve not done a review yet, and combined with a couple of other reasons, off we went.
Salcey Forest is part of an ancient medieval hunting forest (according to Google) and it is run by Forestry England. Basically it’s a sister forest to Wendover Woods but we felt it was quieter and less commercialised than Wendover is now. Being part of the same charity it does mean that they do the same children’s trails (usually Julia Donaldson related). They also have a GoApe here which looked fun. You can read more about that, and book your tickets on their website (affiliate link).
Walking routes
Much more than in lots of other woodlands, you have to stick to the footpaths so there isn’t really much opportunity for tree-climbing. Given that my children are part-ape this is always a bone of contention. There are however a number of different walking routes that you can do, and they’re all clearly marked and easy to follow. You can find out more about the routes before your visit on their website.
They also have a couple of other routes, that for some reason they don’t describe as walking routes. There’s the Gruffalo Orienteering trail, wellbeing trail (which roughly parallels the Church Path Trail) and sensory walk. For joggers there is park run and a couple of measured running trails.
The Woodpecker Walking Trail
When we first arrived at Salcey Forest and looked at the map Hubby, somewhat optimistically, declared that we could absolutely do the 6 mile Woodpecker trail. The average human walking speed is 5 miles per hour so we’d do it in just over an hour. None of this factors in the average child walking speed or stops for “ooh a butterfly”. It also didn’t factor in that it has rained solidly for the past nine months, but we went with it. The Woodpecker trail is not paved and it isn’t pushchair friendly. Currently it isn’t even hiking boots friendly! Two of the kids and I were in wellies so we were fine but the other two “only” had hiking boots and they really struggled. After a really short distance we gave up, it was just too muddy. I’m sure it will be lovely in the summer though.
The Church Path Walking Trail
So we decided to return to the main path and try the Church Path walking trail instead. At only 1.5 miles long it should only take us about 20 minutes using Hubby’s logic (we’ll come back to that) but it is 1,000% more buggy friendly. And more hiking boot friendly. The route takes you across a lovely little stream/drain that we played Pooh Sticks on (I lost)
And another one where there were loads of tadpoles
There was a good den building area. Although the kids randomly found some (children’s) pants hanging in the trees so we made a sharp exit at that stage. Actually, there was quite a few different types of different woodlands as we walked around so it was like lots of different walks. There’s also a picnic area about half-way ’round.
Oh and how long did we actually take us to do the Church Path trail? About 1 1/2 hours on easy terrain! So imagine how long 6 miles through thick mud would have taken? I would have been a broken woman by the end.
Horses and bikes
Don’t worry, horse riders and bikers aren’t left out. Now, I cannot personally review any of the bridleways or bike trails at Salcey Forest, but I know they’ve got them. Read more about horse riding here and bike trails here.
The playgrounds
The main playground area at Salcey Forest is by the cafe. TBH it’s not the biggest woodland playground in our area. That title would probably have to go to Black Park Country Park. It’s got a sandpit/kitchen, play frame (which is most suited to older children but has some elements for younger kids), a massive hammock, playhouse with slide and some instruments. It’s right next to the main centre and a load of benches so you can have lunch whilst the kids play.
The other playground was called the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately at the moment it’s more like Shrek’s Swamp!! It does look like it would be brilliant for younger kids most of the time, just not right now!
There is another playground in here somewhere, we just didn’t find it.
Other facilities
Salcey Forest has a range of other facilities, both for families and other “normal” people. There’s various picnic areas, events and activities, table tennis, outdoor games kits you can hire and forest bathing.
If you look at the map of Salcey Forest we only covered a really small part of the site today. I imagine we covered the most popular, and the most accessible parts of the site. It would be nice to go back when the weather is less muddy and explore the rest.
This review of Salcey Forest is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
Our Salcey Forest review
Salcey Forest is so lovely and, on the day we visited to do this review at least, it was relatively quiet. It was also, relatively, free of dog poop which is always refreshing. You very much have to stick to the paths here, and it’s quite difficult to go off-piste anyway. Definitely one to go back and explore further when it’s less muddy.
Admission cost
Free
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Two car parks. £6 for up to 2 hours. £8 all day
Address – Salcey Forest, Wootton Road, Northamptonshire. NN7 2HX
Toilets
On-site, including baby change
Food
Cafe on-site. Picnics allowed.
What else is there to do nearby?
Castle Ashby Gardens are nearby, so is Silverstone Interactive Museum, Stanwick Lakes and Stowe Gardens..
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
