5 Stunning Spring Moments.
Best spring walks, wildlife moments, and dog-friendly notes
Plan a holiday full of stunning spring moments in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley with Willow Forest Stays.
Spring in the Forest of Dean is all about noticing what’s changed. A mild evening. A quick shower. A burst of birdsong. A road-side toad sign that makes you slow down.
If you’re planning a couples break (with or without a dog), spring is one of the best seasons to book. It’s quieter than summer, the landscape changes fast, and you can build your days around short drives, proper walks, and calm evenings back at your cottage with views and a bubbling hot tub.
Check availability for Wyldwood Cottage or Woodland Barn, then use this guide to plan a spring stay with the right walk for the weather, plus a couple of seasonal events worth pencilling in.
Woodland Barn – Willow Forest Stays
Wyldwood Cottage – Willow Forest Stays
5 stunning spring moments you’re likely to spot
Spring here is full of stunning moments.
Toad crossing signs on roads.
In spring, you’ll often see temporary amphibian crossing signs on roads. They tend to appear near wet ditches, woodland edges, and anywhere that holds water after rain. The practical takeaway is simple: slow down, especially at dusk when frogs and toads will be making their journey to the nearest pond to spawn. When on walks around a pond look out for frog and toads spawn in the reeds and later on tadpoles and froglets.
Wild boar and “humbugs”
Wild boar are present in and around the Forest of Dean, and in spring you may see piglets with stripy coats, nicknamed “humbugs”. Even when you do not see boar, you may notice turned earth and disturbed leaf litter, often along woodland edges and quieter tracks. Please keep your dog close when walking in the woodland and stick to the paths.
Lambs in nearby fields
If you head out to more open countryside walks in spring, lambs are part of the landscape. Please remember to keep your dogs on leads if you see lambs nearby.
Dawn chorus
This is the easiest spring “wow” with the least effort. Step outside early with a coffee and listen for a minute. You do not need to identify anything to enjoy it.
Spring showers that improve the right walk
Showers are normal in spring. The trick is not to fight it. Choose a waterfall walk where running water is the point, and the weather becomes part of the experience.
Dogs and driving notes for spring
These small habits make days out feel relaxed rather than tense.
Driving
Slow down on lanes with toad or amphibian crossing signs, especially at dusk and after mild rain.
Assume tight corners, walkers, cyclists, and mud even when the road looks empty.
Walking with dogs in woodland
Keep dogs close where visibility is poor, especially in bracken and dense undergrowth.
Clip the lead on sooner than you think you need to, particularly on narrower paths in the woodland.
If you see wild boar, give them space and calmly turn back rather than trying to pass close by.
Farmland
Spring means lambs. Keep dogs on a lead near fields, gates, and footpath edges.
Choose your base: Wyldwood Cottage vs Woodland Barn
Both are ideal for couples, and both work well for dog-friendly breaks. The difference is the view and the rhythm of your day.
Wyldwood Cottage
Courtyard garden, forest views, and sunsets
Wyldwood suits couples who love slow evenings. After a walk, you can settle into the courtyard with forest views, and on clear spring days the sunset light is a genuine highlight.
Check availability for Wyldwood Cottage if your perfect spring finish is a quiet courtyard evening and a sunset over the trees.
Wyldwood Cottage – Willow Forest Stays
Woodland Barn
Private terrace, river views, and sunrises
Woodland Barn suits early risers. Open the door, coffee in hand, and you’ve got a private terrace with river views. Spring sunrises over water have a calmer feel than almost anywhere else.
Check availability for Woodland Barn if you want sunrise coffee and that unhurried river rhythm.
Woodland Barn – Willow Forest Stays
Day 2: choose your headline spring walk
Option A: Cadora Woods
If you want a proper Wye Valley spring woodland walk, Cadora Woods is a strong choice for May. The Woodland Trust notes that the woods are crossed by public footpaths including the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail, with terrain that can be muddy, and that the Offa’s Dyke Path through the woods is narrow in places.
Visit Dean Wye highlights Bigsweir and Cadora Woods as a bluebell hotspot, describing the Offa’s Dyke Footpath north of Bigsweir Bridge towards Redbrook, with steep bluebell-covered views.
Why it works in spring
It feels “proper Forest of Dean & Wye Valley”, with wooded slopes and big woodland atmosphere.
After showers, the colours can feel even richer, but expect mud.
Dog note :This is exactly the kind of woodland where “dogs close” is sensible rather than fussy, especially on narrow sections and where the undergrowth is thick.
Option B: Whitestone and Cleddon Falls
If spring showers have rolled through, this is a brilliant choice. Visit Dean Wye recommends a route from Whitestone Car Park following the purple waymarked route to Cleddon Falls and Duchess Ride Viewpoint, along the Wye Valley Walk through Bargain Wood.
Visit Monmouthshire describes Cleddon Shoots and Cleddon Falls above Llandogo, with views over the River Wye and waterfalls created by water running down steep valley slopes.
Why it works in spring
The falls feel more dramatic after rain.
It’s satisfying even on a grey day, because the sound and movement of water do the work.
Dog note
On wet days, clip on earlier than usual. Narrow paths, steep ground, and viewpoints are all easier with fewer surprises.
Day 3: choose one spring extra
Option 1: Spring Showcase food festival
Forest Showcase lists The Spring Food Festival on 24 May 2026 at The Speech House Hotel Grounds.
This is a great couples day out if you want something local that is not “another long walk”. You can browse, taste, pick up a few treats, then head back for a calm evening.
Option 2: Lydney Park Estate Woodland Garden
Lydney Park Estate publishes its Garden open days and lists multiple opening dates in spring 2026, beginning Friday 3 April.
This is ideal for a slower-paced day with seasonal colour. Because it runs on set dates, it’s worth checking the official list when you’re choosing your stay dates. Welcomes dogs on leads.
Option 3: Wildlife Safari
Forestry England promotes Wildlife Safaris with Ed Drewitt, including dawn chorus or evening birdsong walks and watching for wild boar or deer across the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley landscapes.
Visit Dean Wye also lists Ed and Liz Drewitt as guides offering wildlife-watching in and around the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
This option suits guests staying without a dog, or those whose dog has settled and is happy to relax in the cottage for a few hours. Then you can come back to the best bit of the day: a bubbling hot tub beneath the stars.
What spring evenings feel like here (and why booking direct helps)
Spring days out are only half the story. The other half is coming back to your own base. Boots by the door. Paws wiped. Kettle on. A quiet evening that does not involve shared spaces or busy corridors.
For direct bookings, trust is everything. We keep things straightforward: clear arrival information, a well-prepared cottage, and a calm setup that lets you get on with your break.
Check availability and pick your dates, Cleddon Falls is perfect after April showers and Cadora Woods is beautiful in May with bluebells and wild garlic.
Information
Cadora Woods Cadora Woods – Visiting Woods – Woodland Trust
Cleddon Falls Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley | Whitestone and Cleddon Falls
Forest Showcase Spring Festival Whats On
Lydney Park Gardens Woodland Garden at Lydney Park Estate
Wildlife Safaris Wildlife safari Forest of Dean | Guided Safari Wye Valley
Willow Forest Stays Blogs
5 Places to see the Bluebells 5 PLACES SEE THE BLUEBELLS – Willow Forest Stays
Explore the Daffodil Way in the Forest of Dean Explore The Daffodil Way in the Forest of Dean – Willow Forest Stays