ESCAPES ENJOYS SOME RURAL RELAXATION AND A HOT TUB
HELEN BARNETT TO DELAMERE FOREST AND
THE past year has seen many of us rediscover our appreciation for nature. The seasons have brought us much-needed regularity among the chaos, and with spare time consisting of walks, walks and more walks, holidays in the great outdoors are especially appealing.
I hadn’t visited Delamere Forest in Cheshire since I was in the Brownies, but it’s safe to say the outdoor pursuit market has upped its game since the days of damp tents and cagoules.
Forest Holidays’ latest location in the expansive Cheshire countryside only opened to guests in April, but when my partner Steve and I arrived, most of its 60-plus cabins were occupied.
After snaking down a mile-long, tree-lined, gravel road we arrived at the Forest Retreat, which operates as a reception, shop, cafe, restaurant and play area all in one. Quickly collecting our key (provided in a plastic bag to be Covid-safe) we got back in the car to crawl through a one-way winding loop past various lodges, including some with specially-built treehouses with double beds inside. The cabins, which all come with a hot tub, barbecue and parking for two cars, are cleverly laid out so when you sit on the decking you feel secluded. And the only thing visible through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows are trees and the rolling Cheshire countryside beyond.
Waiting for us inside the sage green and cream two-bedroom Golden Oak cabin was the Deluxe Welcome Hamper we’d booked, packed with goodies from Forest Holidays Delamere’s supermarket partner, Booths.
As well as some of its own luxury treats (the cookies and cream brownies are a must-try and also available to buy in the Forest Retreat) there were a number of high-end items from Booths’ northern suppliers, including Lancashire crisps and cookies.
There was also fresh bread, croissants and pain au chocolat, milk, eggs, sausages and bacon from the local H. E. Coward Traditional Butchers which kept us going all weekend.
Because check-in isn’t until 4pm to allow extra time for deep cleaning, we’d prebooked a Let’s Eat recipe box with ready-measured ingredients (from Booths, of course) so we could crack on with dinner as soon as we arrived. There was a choice of easy-to-follow recipes, including pea and pancetta risotto, tamarind and soy chicken and vegetable stirfry and chicken cacciatore and parmentier potatoes. Our all-singing, all-dancing television was ready to go with the entertainment package we’d booked giving access to movies, iPlayer and Sky Sports.
It also stored key information, had options to book food and activities, and reception could send us handy messages explaining if the kitchen was particularly busy that evening, or reminding us of checkout time the night before departure.
On our first night, we opted to drive to one of the many great country pubs surrounding the forest. Our five-minute journey brushing past the famous Sandstone Ridge took us past some incredible views of the Welsh hills.
Delamere is just next to the 34-mile long Sandstone Trail which can offer stunning, unspoilt panoramic vistas of eight counties from one spot. We arrived at The Morris Dancer pub in Kelsall, near Tarporley, where we ate in a tipi – newly built due to Covid rules. Hearty portions of quality traditional British fodder was served under twinkling fairy lights and patio heaters.
Cosy, homely country pubs with
satisfying well-cooked food (and a craft gin) is what Cheshire does brilliantly.
Once home, we dived into the hot tub to have a drink under the stars, framed by the towering conifers, in a blissfully soothing start to the holiday.
The weather was not on our side on Saturday and we woke to the sound of rain beating down through the trees. Thankfully we’d booked a spa treatment through Glo Pamper and our therapist, Tracey, set up in our living room to give us two hours of treatments, with various massage and facial options available.
Feeling refreshed, we took a wander through the nearby woodland. The location is on the edge of Delamere Forest and is about a 10-minute drive or hour’s walk from the main visitor centre and activity locations. Forest Holidays has tried to compensate for this by building its own Peter Rabbit trail which is about one-mile long around the cabin site.
It does give a sense of the forest, and on a clear day you can spot the legendary Jodrell Bank radio telescope (a landmark to recognise at any Cheshire viewpoint worth its salt).
But with visitor centre parking costing about £8, if you are to spend any decent amount of time in Delamere Forest a shuttle bus to the main part of the forest would be a welcome option for guests.
There was no need to cook, with a pizza package delivered to our door, freshly made in the Forest Retreat kitchen. Two quality large pizzas, garlic bread and a tub of Cheshire’s own Snugbury’s ice cream was £30 and would feed a family of four. With the weather a little brighter the next day, we delved into the main forest for an offroad Segway tour through the woods. Operated by Go Ape, the Segways are more adventurous than your average city ride, with the large rough-terrain tyres ready to take you up and down bumpy hills and muddy twists and turns.
At £33 per adult, the training took a little bit too much of the hour’s ride, but it was a fun way to speed through the forest and spot Go Ape thrillseekers clambering through the canopies above. With such a great socialising space outside our cabin, we were able to welcome some friends to our deck for a barbecue and still follow social distancing. It’s safe to say our friends’ children loved jumping in the hot tub after an afternoon cycling along the main trails and walking to find the Gruffalo sculpture.
Being able to switch off from the stresses of everyday life is a luxury not many of us have been afforded over the past year.
But our little slice of the tranquil Cheshire countryside gave us the chance to breathe, reset, and fully appreciate just how lucky we are to live near so much beauty.
Sandstone Trail offers vistas of eight counties enjoyed from one spot