01/08/2026
August in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is all long days and school holidays, with plenty worth planning around. 👇
🎪 Ross Carnival (Saturday 1st August). The carnival returns tomorrow! A community parade winds through the town centre, with a dog show to open the day at 11am, live music, children's entertainment and a fancy dress competition at 3pm. Free to come along, no need to book! Ross-on-Wye Town Council
⚔️ The Sealed Knot: Battle of Coleford (8th to 9th August). Members of the Sealed Knot return to Coleford to re-enact the 1643 English Civil War battle fought in the town, with living history and the noise and colour of pike and musket up close. A good one for curious families.
🗿 Summer Sculpture Exhibition (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until 13th September). 55 artists and 143 sculptures set out through the grounds of the Wye Valley Sculpture Garden near Tintern. Wye Valley Sculpture Garden, Tintern
🧀 Cheese and a Local Brew (selected Saturdays through August). Forest Deli in Coleford pairs a board of local cheeses with a local drink to match, a relaxed way to taste your way around the region's producers. Forest Deli
🏺 Potter's Wheel Day (1st and 15th August). Spend a day at the wheel with Eastnor Pottery on the Eastnor Castle estate. Your own wheel, endless clay and expert tuition, with your finished pieces fired and ready to collect later! Eastnor Pottery . Also, Hot Pot Pottery - pottery classes, workshops & experiences is running some fantastic classes and workshops in August too!
🌲 Summer Holidays free entry at Dean Heritage Centre (until 30th August). Free entry to five galleries of Forest history, a daily craft hut, the adventure playground and the Gruffalo Trail winding through the woodland. A gentle one for a slower family day. Dean Heritage Centre
