Cardinham Woods half term: what’s free and what costs a fiver

A week off school can get expensive fast. At Cardinham Woods, near Bodmin, most of what is on offer this October half term costs nothing at all, and the rest comes in at £5 or under.

Forestry England has set out six things families can do in the forest this autumn. Four of them are free. Here is what each one involves and what it costs.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Room on the Broom trail, with a Halloween twist

Cost: £4 per trail pack. Halloween bonus activities are free with a trail pack, or £1.50 bought separately.

The Room on the Broom family adventure trail sends children off with Witch and her friends to find her lost hat, bow and wand, and to collect the ingredients she needs to finish her spell.

For Halloween there is an extra layer. Solve the clues along the way, complete the crossword, and there is a sticker reward at the end.

Activity packs are sold at the Ranger’s Hut, which is open Sunday to Thursday, 9.30am to 3pm, during school holidays.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

A family bike ride

Cost: free

Cardinham has cycling trails for balance bikes, off-road experts and everyone in between. The shared Lady Vale Walk follows the forest stream and suits riders still finding their confidence. The Bodmin Beast is the forest’s singletrack trail, with optional red-grade sections for those who want them.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Find the Gruffalo and friends

Cost: free

The Gruffalo and five more characters from the deep, dark wood are waiting along the Lady Vale Walk. The Gruffalo sculptures are inspired by the picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Forest Activity Bag

Cost: £5 per bag hire

The Forest Activity Bag is filled with easy-to-follow activities for getting up close to the forest’s wildlife and trees. Families can spot wildlife, uncover hidden parts of the forest, and finish with a forest quiz.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Walks for every pace

Cost: free

The walking trails range from an easy stroll beside the stream, suitable for balance bikes and pushchairs, to more challenging hikes deeper into the forest. All-terrain mobility scooters are available to hire, so the whole family can come along.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

Wildlife spotting

Cost: free

The forest is home to creatures of every size all year round, from tiny mini-beasts to roe deer. Forestry England’s free wildlife spotter sheet lets children track and record what they find.

Before you go

Parking charges apply to all activities, including the free ones. Forestry England members park for free, and membership sign-up is on the Forestry England website.

Full details for planning a visit are on the Cardinham Woods page.

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright

📷Credit: Forestry England/Crown copyright