Prebooked a guided tour to see inside a Dean coal mine and learn about freemining in the forest and it was brilliant! Hugely interesting, must go back to sample coffee and see the artefacts on display as the main centre was closing as our tour ended. Highly recommend 👌

A fantastic experience! A great price for the family. Rich, our tour guide, was so lovely and really knew his stuff. Our girls absolutely loved this emersive tour, and we were even lucky enough to see two bats up close! Rich was informative and included the children, keeping them entertained. Best day out in a long time. Thankyou again! :)

Visited on Thurs 7th May, with my Husband , Dad and Son. Tour guide Rich was brilliant so informative. Telling us about history, Tools, Hardships of the working in the mine. It was very intersesting . We all, very much enjoyed it. Thank you also to Rich for being so kind and fun and involving my son who is Autistic you made him feel at ease. My Mum sat at the cafe with the dog had a coffee and tea cake ,she enjoyed it. Returned next morning fri 8th the 5 of us and dog sat inside and had a yummy, tasty breakfast. The ladies there are so lovely, helpful . They certainly keep very busy it seems very popular. Thank you🥰 we must pop in for sunday lunch at some point, hear it very good .

I visited Hopewell Colliery today and had a genuinely brilliant experience. The tour was led by Rich, who explained everything in a really clear and easy-to-understand way. It gave a fascinating insight into the world of freemining, including the conditions miners worked in and the tools they used. You can tell he has real hands-on experience, as he still works the mine himself, which makes the whole tour feel authentic and engaging. When you arrive, there’s a lovely café on site. The ladies running it are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and nothing is too much trouble for them. I had a bacon sandwich which was absolutely spot on — my only regret is not staying longer to try more of the menu. I’ll definitely be back for the food alone if I’m passing through again. It’s a really nice, family-run business and you can feel a strong sense of community there, which makes the visit even more special. A quick tip: I’d recommend booking your tour online in advance, as spaces are limited and times are set. You can turn up and chance it, but it’s much safer to book ahead. Also, bring cash if you can — the mobile signal in the area isn’t great (especially on O2), so it’s better to be prepared. Huge thanks to Rich and the team for such a lovely experience — highly recommended. From The Canary🐦

Brilliant visit on a rainy afternoon. With expert knowledge the tour guide shared his experience in an engaging way to suit both the adults and children in the group. We were kitted out and escorted down the mine shafts to the coal beds. (You need to be mobile enough to navigate the steep walk down and back up!). We were educated about the free miners and shown the traditional mining techniques. The tour was about an hour and well worth the modest fee ( £10 for adults). Fascinating stuff ! The cafe was also fabulous with generous portions and no excessive prices. Easy to park. Would definitely recommend!