35 in the Forest of Dean

I'm 35. 

Lucky me to have had 35 years on this earth. 

As my birthday lands fiendishly close to Halloween (30th) I love doing something autumnal and as luck would have it my husband treated me and the girls to a weekend away in the Forest of Dean, Gloucester. 

On the border of England and Wales, The Forest of Dean has a rich natural landscape, festooned in ancient forests and intersected by the winding Wye river its a stunning place to visit. With such landmarks as Devils Pulpit, Symonds Yat rock and New Fancy, its an area steeped in history, from Pagan settlements to collieries. It's also made an appearance on popular Netflix show, 'Sex Education,'  which has bought the area some notoriety. Character Otis's house being a now famous landmark in the area, (which recently sold in excess of 1 million)!  

As a mother of two littles, (two kids under three), I should always temper my expectations around holidays - kids don't care it's your birthday or that you'd like a lie in! There were fraught moments, there's no two ways about it, me and hubby had to navigate some epic tantrums but on the whole it was a lovely holiday and just what I needed. 

We stayed in a converted barn we found on Air Bnb, with concrete floors and metal kitchen worktops it didn't read as my preferred aesthetic but my gosh it was so cosy and stunning. 

I have a serious penchant for jute rugs after staying in this place, that and I'm on a mission to make my own large wreaths like the ones on the wall here! 

On the Saturday we arrived I drove us straight to a landmark called the Devils Pulpit, supposedly a Pagan site that got a Christian rebrand! It's supposed to be a spectacular view, honestly my phone camera doesn't do it justice, it really was worth the hike (made longer by little legs)! 

On Sunday, our first full day in the Forest of Dean we on a suggestion visited New Fancy, a Forestry Commission site that used to be an old colliery. Now famed for it's monument we enjoyed a beautiful hike in forest that is home to wild roaming boar! 

After our hike we paid £22 entry fee to Clearwater Caves and had a brilliant hour or so traipsing around under ground trying to find pumpkins hidden in the caverns! It was honestly a mesmerising experience and we had so much fun exploring. 

 

I tried my best to pack practically for my trip, lots of dungarees and wellies. The jumper is vintage and the beret/dungarees are both from Vinted. I joked that my aesthetic for this trip was 70s Nordic farmer! 

 

Most evenings were spent cosy watching films and eating pizza, with two kids needing to be tucked up we couldn't paint the town red but honestly after all the hiking and delicious food I was ready to doss! 

Now that I'm home, here's a round up of this weeks outfits! 

I wore my eBay vintage 70s dress, waistcoat and cowboy boots to deliver mental health training at work. It's one of my go to outfits in autumn that is hippie but warm! 

I'm still upset about this gorgeous Canadian made, vintage sweater. I bought it with the intention to sell it on Vinted, secretly wanting it for myself. I listed it with what I thought was a high price and it sold within ten minutes! My plan failed!! On a plus note I'm saving up for a Naked Generation dress so this will be going towards that! 

I also bought two waistcoats with the intention of selling but immediately fell in love with this beige one which has been absorbed into my wardrobe! 

Both this coat and top are for sale on Vinted, the coat is still there but the top sold within half an hour of being listed! 

Well I hope you had a lovely Halloween, now to get ready for bonfire night and the dreaded c word!!! (I love Christmas so prepare for some festive themed stuff here)! 

Lots of Love 

Soph xxx