Who needs a playground when you’ve got a
pond? That seems to be the attitude at Woodside Country Park, where the focus
is more on camping’s natural pleasures than installing a raft of artificial flimflam. The result is a 25-acre space that’s covered by pockets of woodland and no
fewer than nine different ponds. In the summer, the largest, Cider Mill Pool,
is a central convening point for families as children hurl themselves from a
small jetty and dabble like oversized ducks among its waters. It’s a scene more
reminiscent of rural France than middle England.
Yet rural is certainly what Woodside
Country Park is. Despite being just two miles from the amenities of Ledbury,
this is a real countryside site with excellent views and a peaceful, partially
‘wild’ ambience. It really is a ‘country park’, home to over 500 native water
plants, trees and shrubs, planted alongside swathes of wild flowers, giving
colour and variety all year round. As well as swimming, kids will love dipping
around in the smaller ponds for insects and bugs (you can even buy a net in
reception) and looping trails among the trees provide great bird spotting
opportunities.
Camping-wise the site has something for
everyone. Weather worriers who want to travel light can pluck for one of their
wooden camping pods or a bed in the large, bunkhouse. The former,
nestled among tall pine trees, are simply furnished (bring your own bedding and
camping gear) but are well insulated and spacious, featuring a heater, double
plug socket and lighting. The bunkhouse, meanwhile, also features a dining and
cooking area, with five different rooms each sleeping up to four people.
They’re more functional than luxurious – cosy indoor options particularly popular
during the winter months – but are a wonderfully handy option if you don’t fancy
pitching a tent.
Out in the open, there are two different camping meadows, situated either side of a country lane that runs through the middle of the park. Near the pods, Orchard Field has room for just 9 pitches, well spread out and all with electricity, while over the road the larger camping meadow (near the swimming pond) is geared more towards tent campers, with space for 50 pitches with electrical hook ups and 8 pitches without electric. It creates a field coloured by canvas and campervans – a classic camping vibe, aided by views across the pond to rolling fields, climbing into the hills around Hereford 10 miles to the east.
The sheer size of the place means much of
the day can be spent on site. In the woods the most gargantuan trees house
fairies, with tiny doors to be discovered among the roots, and in a far corner
of the site yet more pools are accompanied by picnic benches in a designated
conservation area. Along the opposite perimeter of the park, meanwhile, the
long distance Herefordshire Trail runs. It’s an excellent route that skirts the
county and is just one of the reasons the site is so popular with walking
groups – along with the nearby Malvern Hills. If you’re still in need of ideas
the reception hut has a big stash of brochures, too. So there really is no
excuse not to get out there!