Things to Do

Why not combine your stay at Swan House Tea Room with a foraging experience?

Chloe Newcomb Hodgetts of Gourmet Gatherings will introduce you to foraging and teach you about all aspects of wild edibles, from finding and identifying them, to their folklore and medicinal and nutritional benefits, to creating delicious dishes and drinks!

Many of her courses are in Chepstow, just a 15-minute drive from Swan House Tea Room.

Forest of Dean Wildlife Tours is based in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, specialising in bird watching day trips.  

Jonny Gentle, the guide, has years of experience birding at various sites across the UK and is well versed in visual and audio identification of species, with the species around the Forest being his speciality.

Swan House Tea Room is just a short drive away from the Forest of Dean and ideally positioned for an early morning start.

Chepstow Racecourse, home of Wales' most prestigious race meeting, the Coral Welsh Grand National. With 31 meetings annually, both flat and jump racing, you can be sure there will be a fixture to suit you, your friends and family.

Look out for our promotional packages which include two luxury nights' accommodation, welcome basket, race day champagne breakfast and transport to and from the racecourse.

The Dean Forest Railway line runs through beautiful woodland and countryside, offering you a chance to experience the relaxing pace of a typical country branch line.

With five stations along the way, you have time to explore the local area, taking in woodland walks or venturing down to the Severn estuary to explore Lydney Harbour with its fantastic views across the Severn.

The Dean Forest Railway is a short drive from Swan House Tea Room so why not combine your railway experience with a night or two stay with us?

When you’re looking for days out or things to do in the Royal Forest of Dean, think deeper, think beneath your feet; because hidden beneath the trees of the forest is a magical world of caverns and the fascinating story of our ancient iron and ochre mining history for you to discover.

Another unique and exciting place to visit in the Forest of Dean.

Tintern Abbey was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow.

It is situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which at this location forms the border between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England. 

Approximately 20 mins drive from Swan House Tea Room, Tintern Abbey is well worth a visit.

Chepstow Castle at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman Lord William FitzOsbern. 

Puzzlewood is an ancient woodland site and tourist attraction, near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.

The site, covering 14 acres, shows evidence of open-cast iron ore mining dating from the Roman period, and possibly earlier.

Over a mile of pathways were laid down in the early 19th century to provide access to the woods and provide picturesque walks.  

The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is a point of interest in the Forest of Dean in the county of Gloucestershire, England.

The Sculpture Trail links several different site-specific sculptures commissioned for the forest. 

It is open from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Admission is free, although there is a charge for car parking.  

Dewstow Gardens & Grottoes is one of the lesser well known attractions in South Wales, but also one of the most interesting.

The gardens are a wonderful place to wander in themselves, with beautifully landscaped paths and decorative beds, waterfalls and  pools and beneath all this, a labrynth of tunnels and grottoes .