The National Forest launches special deals for groups

With a pocketful of special offers, groups will have even more reason to visit The National Forest & Beyond after the Group Leisure & Travel Show at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham from 20 to 21 September.

The National Forest & Beyond partners have got together with hotels, self-catering lodges and campsites, attractions, restaurants and companies offering brilliant activities to compile a selection of special show offers just for groups.

The vouchers include experiences such as learning woodland crafts with Greenwood Days, discovering survival skills with Woodland Ways and off-road driving with Forest Four Wheel Drive.

Some places included within the offers are not generally open to the public, such as Catton Hall, where either morning coffee and biscuits or afternoon tea will be served for free with each tour booked. This is a great venue to combine with a trip to the National Memorial Arboretum.

Groups can get 25% off entry to Conkers Discovery Centre, at the heart of The National Forest, a 20% discount at the historic Battlefield Line Railway and special prices at Twycross Zoo and The National Forest Maize Maze.

To encourage groups to stay over on their visit, Ingles Hill Holidays, Ashby de la Zouch, is offering 10% off holidays, group organisers can stay for free at the Best Western Premier Yew Lodge in Kegworth or get a 10% discount off mid-week mini-breaks in the Forest Lodges, nestling in the young woodland at Rosliston Forestry Centre.

There are also discounts available at Donington le Heath Manor House’s gift shop, free meals for every tenth person in the group at Planters Restaurant in Bretby Garden Centre and a free bottle of wine with dinner at the Ramada Birmingham East Hotel.

The special offer vouchers will only be available during the show from the National Forest & Beyond’s stand at the event. The discounts are valid for groups of 10 or more except Greenwood Days, which is six or more.

In addition to the show offers, visitors to the stand will also be able to enter a prize draw to win a fantastic pamper weekend at Champney Springs near Ashby de la Zouch.

The National Forest & Beyond offers a tremendous variety of activities to enjoy and a wealth of wet-weather options too. These include the interactive discovery centres Conkers and Snibston; stately homes such as Calke Abbey, Melbourne Hall and Catton Hall; and historic castles including Ashby de la Zouch (seat of the ‘real’ king of England) and Tutbury, allegedly the most haunted castle in Britain. Visitors can take a trip to craft workshops and forestry centres across the area or discover its rich industrial heritage with a visit to Moira Furnace, Sharpe’s Pottery or a brewery tour around Burton upon Trent’s Marston’s or Coors Breweries.

The National Forest & Beyond Group Visits Guide contains details on the wealth of attractions across the area along with recommended itineraries for a great day out.

The itineraries provide suggestions for a morning visit, a lunch stop and an afternoon excursion to cater for all age groups and interests. So whether the group is interested in historic houses and glorious gardens, a day in wonderful woodlands, messing about on the water or exploring the roots to the past, the guide contains brilliant ideas on where to go and what to do. It also features ideas for active or leisurely days - come rain or shine and where to take younger groups.

The major events in The National Forest & Beyond are listed, as well as accommodation venues that cater for groups and places to enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner.

The National Forest spans more than 200 square miles across parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire and is England’s most ambitious environmental project – to create a new Forest for the nation. The new guide promotes not only The National Forest but also the area outside the Forest within the boundaries of the partner districts across East Staffordshire, North West Leicestershire and South Derbyshire.

Penny Wilkinson, Tourism Officer at The National Forest Company, said: “The National Forest & Beyond, with its rich mixture of culture and history, rolling hills and peaceful woodlands, exciting discovery centres and invigorating activities offers so much for groups! And we want more people to come and enjoy it.”

To order a copy of the group visits guide log on to Nationalforest.org.