Ten Winter Wellness Weekends

Ten Winter Weekends of Wellness

Over the next ten weekends, as we brace the coldest plunges of winter and wait for spring to stir beneath our feet, why not make a few plans that put the spotlight on your wellness?

Winter in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is an invitation to slow down, soften the pace, and lean into restorative experiences that nurture both body and mind. From deep relaxation and creative mindfulness to forest immersion and seasonal beauty, here are ten perfectly curated winter wellness weekends to help you reset, recharge, and reconnect.

But before we dive in, it’s good to be reminded that health doesn’t come from one single source but a variety, including moving our body, nourishing it with good food and community experiences, and sinking into deep rest and relaxation afterwards. Pairing outdoor, nature-based experiences with warm, restorative practices can help you stay balanced through winter.

Move

1. Wander Through Winter Calm at Wye Valley Sculpture Garden

Wellness focus: Nature immersion, reflection, seasonal awareness

Running Thursday to Sunday, 1–4pm, from 23rd January to 8th Februar, this sell-out seasonal experience invites visitors to wander through three peaceful acres as over 80 varieties of snowdrops bloom. Nurtured since the 1970s, the snowdrops offer a quiet reminder of winter’s purpose, rest, renewal, and hope. Pre-bookable 1.5-hour visits allow you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and visually experience the turning of the seasons.

2. Forest Bathing & Nature Walks at Forest Retreats

Wellness focus: Grounding, mental clarity, immune support

Guided forest bathing sessions offer a gentle, sensory way to connect with the ancient woodlands of the Forest of Dean. Through slow walking, breath awareness, and mindful observation, a session here will help regulate any stress, improve mood, and bring a sense of deep calm, particularly powerful during the quieter winter months.

3. Restorative Yoga & Meditation at Plantation Villa

Wellness focus: Yoga, meditation, breathwork, deep rest

Set within peaceful countryside surroundings, Plantation Villa offers retreat days and wellness sessions focused on restoration and balance. Expect restorative yoga, meditation, and breathing practices designed to soothe the nervous system and encourage stillness. It’s ideal for anyone craving a moment of quiet reflection and an inward winter experience.

4. Contrast Therapy: Sauna, Cold Plunge & Breathwork at Salvation at Baynhams

Wellness focus: Circulation, resilience, mind-body reset

Combining Nordic-inspired sauna and cold-water immersion with guided yoga, breathwork, and forest bathing, Salvation at Baynhams delivers a powerful winter reset. The contrast of heat and cold boosts circulation and immunity, while the surrounding nature supports mental clarity and emotional balance, perfect for building resilience (and community) through the colder months.

Nourish 

5. Seasonal Cookery Classes at Harts Barn Cookery School

Wellness focus: Nourishment, creativity, mindful cooking

Winter is the perfect season to reconnect with the rhythms of food and the comfort of home-cooked meals. Harts Barn Cookery School, on the edge of the Forest of Dean, offers hands-on workshops in winter soups, fermentation, chutneys, and preserves, all using the freshest local produce. These classes are as nourishing for the mind as they are for the body, combining creativity, mindfulness, and practical skills.

6. Local Foraging with Gourmet Gatherings

Wellness focus: Nature connection, seasonal foraging, wild food insights

Reconnect with wild, local flavours on a guided foraging walk with Chloe Newcomb Hodgetts. Chloe leads participants through estuary, meadow and hedgerow habitats to identify edible plants, herbs, roots, berries, fungi and more to safely and sustainably harvest them. She’ll also teach you how to use them in delicious food and drink recipes, while sharing her deep knowledge of their folklore and nutritional properties.

7. Fresh, Local Produce Delivered by Dean Forest Food Hub

Wellness focus: Seasonal health, connect with local food community, mindful cooking/meal planning

After Christmas and New Year, when indulgence and “naughty” treats are fresh in memory, getting wholefood, high-quality produce back into our diets is top of mind, and what better way to get the good stuff than through the Dean Forest Food Hub! With seasonal vegetables, artisan breads, preserves, dairy, eggs, and more all sourced sustainably and ethically from nearby growers and makers and delivered straight to your door (or from a local pick-up), it’s an easy, mindful, and delicious way to reset your health, nourish your body, and support local producers all at once.

Relax

8. Mindful Making at Hot Pot Pottery 

Wellness focus: Creativity, mindfulness, nervous-system calming

There’s something deeply therapeutic about working with clay in winter. Hot Pot Pottery’s sessions offer a warm, welcoming space where creativity becomes meditation. As your hands shape the clay, the outside world fades, encouraging focus, presence, and gentle flow. A perfect antidote to winter restlessness and mental overload.

9. Deep Rest & Weightless Calm at Float in the Forest

Wellness focus: Stress relief, muscle relaxation, mental reset

Float away from stress and tension with the ultimate relaxing experience. Your body is effortlessly supported as you float on warm water infused with 550kg of Epsom salt, allowing every muscle to fully relax and your mind to drift. With private float pods, rainfall showers, luxurious towels, natural toiletries, and a relaxation lounge serving organic herbal teas, this is winter self-care at its most effortless and indulgent.

10. Wild Escapes at The Riverside at Aymestrey

Wellness focus: Outdoor sauna, hot tubs, cold plunge, nature immersion

For those who love restorative heat and serene nature, Wild Escapes at The Riverside at Aymestrey offers a truly seasonal reset. Set beside the tranquil riverbank, this eco-spa experience blends wood-fired saunas, outdoor hot tubs, cold copper plunge baths, herbal tea rituals, and optional holistic treatments using locally sourced organic products. The contrast of warming heat, fresh valley air, and gentle river views make it a perfect winter wellness weekend.

Bonus Activity

Why not plan a ‘readaway’ weekend, simply get yourself a good book then head off to a cosy cafe or fine country pub and lose yourself for a few hours, paired with some delicious local food and drinks.

Before you settle in for your readaway weekend, stop by Stella Rose's Books in Ross-on-Wye. This independent bookshop is a treasure trove of carefully curated fiction, non-fiction, and local interest titles, with knowledgeable staff who genuinely love recommending the perfect book for your mood.

Browse the shelves, chat about your reading tastes, and leave with something that'll keep you company through long winter afternoons. It's the kind of place that makes choosing your next chapter feel like part of the wellness ritual itself.

Symonds Yat Rock Cafe is a fine spot with stunning views and epic walking trails if you fancy a little stomp too.

Or The Hope and Anchor Pub does a fantastic afternoon tea with locally made cakes, sausage rolls, and plenty of delights that will keep you fuelled page after page. Sit in their beer garden and enjoy the sound of the river flowing by and birdsong in the air.

A winter worth savouring

Whether your idea of wellness is quiet walking among snowdrops, floating in weightless serenity, shaping clay, or warming up in a wood-fired sauna, winter in The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley offer a gentle, intentional way to care for yourself. These experiences remind us that winter isn’t something to endure, but a season to honour, one slow weekend at a time.