A couple of weekends ago, we visited Center Parcs Sherwood Forest for our very first Center Parcs holiday—and we had a fantastic time! Not knowing quite what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. I thought I’d share a full review for anyone considering booking a Center Parcs break.

What Is Center Parcs?

If you’re new to the concept, Center Parcs offers lodge holidays set in beautiful forest locations. There are six parks across the UK: Whinfell, Longleat, Woburn, Elveden, Longford (opening soon), and Sherwood Forest, which is where we stayed.

“Whether you’re trying one of the many activities together, eating together at our range of restaurants or relaxing together in your open-plan accommodation, everything at Center Parcs is made for families.”
– Center Parcs

Location

Sherwood Forest Center Parcs is located in Newark, Nottinghamshire—just under an hour from our home in Sheffield, making it ideal for a short and stress-free journey with the kids.

“Set in the heart of Nottinghamshire, take a UK short break at Sherwood Forest for a perfect fusion of woodland and lakeside… Activities are spread across 400 acres of forest, with a central village square offering shops, restaurants, and more.”
– Center Parcs

Accommodation

We stayed in a two-bedroom Woodland Lodge, which was clean, modern, and well-equipped with everything we needed. Our lodge was located in the Maple area—about a 10-minute walk from the central village. Thankfully, the kids had scooters, which made it easier.

One downside was that although we booked at the same time as family members, our lodges were placed on opposite sides of the park. We later found out you can pay extra to choose your lodge location—but this wasn’t made clear during the booking process. Unfortunately, they were fully booked when we arrived and couldn’t move us, which made meeting up a bit of a hassle.

Things to Do

We weren’t sure what activities would be available—especially free ones—but here’s what we found:

Free Activities

• Subtropical Swimming Paradise – Absolutely the highlight of our trip! It features:

  • A wave pool

  • Wild Water Rapids

  • Hot whirlpools

  • The new Tropical Cyclone raft ride

• Playgrounds and nature trails

• Cycling and walking routes (bring your own bikes or hire them)

Paid Activities

These carry an extra charge:

• Archery

• Badminton

• Laser combat

• Mini golf

• Dance and fitness classes

• Swimming lessons

• Aqua Sana Spa

• Bowling (we did this – it was great!)

• Teddy bear-making (also highly recommended)

In all honesty, I do wish more activities were included in the holiday price. After spending quite a bit on the accommodation itself, it would be nice not to have to worry about extra fees just to keep the kids entertained.

Food & Dining

There’s a great choice of restaurants on-site, including:

• Bella Italia

• The Pancake House – Highly recommend the Black Forest pancake stack!

• Café Rouge

You can also order takeaway directly to your lodge (we had pizza one night—it was delicious and delivered quickly). There’s also an on-site supermarket which, despite the warnings I’d heard, was actually quite reasonably priced.

Final Thoughts

We had a brilliant time at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest and would absolutely go back again. While it’s not the cheapest holiday option—and I do think some of the paid activity pricing could be more family-friendly—the experience was worth it.

The accommodation was excellent, the setting was beautiful, and the Subtropical Swimming Paradise was a huge win for the kids. There’s something special about escaping to the forest for a few days of fresh air and quality time together.