Three Counties Christmas visits Queenswood, Hereford
Posted on 28th April 2022 at 18:35
Queenswood Country Park is situated in rural Herefordshire, and is most commonly visited for its unique Gruffalo trail.
It gives me (Ali) great pleasure in reviewing this popular tourist attraction, as I grew up in Hereford and my family are located at the back of the woods. Therefore, I am going to relish writing this blog to promote an area in Herefordshire that means so much to me.
Three Fun Facts:
1) Queenswood is the only designated Country park in Herefordshire.
2) The wood changed its name from ‘Kings Wood’ to ‘Queenswood’ in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
3) The Gruffalo Trail was launched in 2016 and is less than 1.5km long making it manageable for little legs.
Back In My Day...
With plenty of woodland areas, riverside walks and stunning views spanning across large areas of the county, I have always felt that I have been spoilt with countryside attractions growing up in rural Herefordshire. (As I am sure a lot of people reading this blog will feel similarly about areas in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, which shares equal beauty.)
As a youngster, leading up into my late twenties, I was a frequent user of Queenswood Country Park because of the variety of differing natural spots that occurred around the 47 acre area…
~ A small quarry sits in the centre of the wood. It has an entrance at the bottom which perfect for den building and a footpath around the top. As a teenager, I used to love climbing up the muddy walls.
~ The Autumn Garden is a vision of beauty. Clusters of brightly coloured trees line the footpath leading up the garden. It is a photographers dream!
~ ’The lookout point’ is situated at the top of a steep incline and you can see for miles across the north of Herefordshire. With benches, a telescope and a map etched into a rock, it’s ideal for a pit stop!
~ The red wood is like no other that I have seen before in the Three Counties. It is a cluster of trees that make a small wood inside the wood!! Each tree is made of soft, furry red bark; it needs two people to wrap their arms around its trunk and they stand so tall that it makes this area a much darker place. It’s a brilliant place to play hide and seek!
Charlie listening to one of the wind-up audio speakers.
What's There?
Along with an enormous wooden playground, animal footprint trails and a café that serves some of the best whippy ice-cream in Hereford, Queenswood continues to develop its environment to enhance its natural beauty and encourage tourists from far and wide.
The recent introduction of wind-up audio speakers have proven to be irresistible to passers-by, as well as providing useful information.
The Main Attraction
In 2016, the introduction a 12ft wooden Gruffalo sculpture drove more families and youngsters to this Herefordshire beauty spot.
Due to the success of the new sculpture, soon after, four other key characters from The Gruffalo story were installed. Owl, Fox, Snake and The Gruffalo's Child were positioned around Queenswood with information points and colourful question boards for visitors to follow.
Even before I had children, this trail lead to a lovely walk around special places within the wood but now, with Charlie and Megan, it’s wonderful to see their excitement when they find a character.
Planning a visit?
Queenswood Country Park is located on Dinmore Hill which is on the main road between Hereford and Leominster.
Car Parking is ample but please be aware that parking is monitored on a camera system, clocking cars coming in and out of the car park and they can be strict with timings.
There is a tourist information centre inside the main building and a shop selling gorgeous Julia Donaldson gifts, along with other woodland related souvenirs.
Queenswood Café sells hot and cold meals and have a seating area inside and outside. They also offer drinks and ice-creams from the side hatch.
If you are planning on taking a picnic, benches are located all around the play ground AND they do have pizza ovens for hire next to some picnic benches which could really make your visit truly unique.
Charlie and Megan have found the Mouse!
Charlie looking at one of the many information boards around the woods.
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