Visitor information
Opening hours
How to find us
Parking & prices
Facilities & access
Contact details

Opening hours

Bedgebury is open from 8am every day except Christmas Day. 
Closing times change with the seasons, currently 8pm.

Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time.

Our car park might close at short notice during peak hours. Please be  aware that you need to  be  prepared to make the  decision  to  turn around  if the car park looks busy, or is full,  and come another time.  

Seasonal changes to closing time

1 May - 31 August 2023 8pm 

How to find us

How to find us
Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst
Sat Nav Postcode: TN17 2SJ
By Car

Directions from London Leave the M25 at junction 5 and join the A21 towards Hastings.  Bedgebury is signposted off the A21 on the B2079, approximately 12 miles southeast of Tunbridge Wells and 16 miles northwest of Hastings.  You will find the entrance to Bedgebury on your right hand side approximately half a mile after leaving the A21. 

Directions from the North and East Take the A262 to Goudhurst and then turn by the village duck pond to take the B2079 signposted to Flimwell.  Follow this road for approximately three miles and you will find the entrance to Bedgebury on your left hand side after the office entrance and Old Walled Garden entrance.  

Directions from Brighton and the West Travel through Lewes and Uckfield to Heathfield.  Take the A265 from Heathfield to Hurst Green.  Turn left onto the A21, drive straight through Flimwell Crossroad.  Bedgebury is signposted from here.

Directions from the South Take the A21 to the Flimwell Crossroad, drive straight across and then follow the sign to turn right onto the B2079.  Bedgebury can be found approximately half a mile along this road on the right hand side.  

What 3 words location for main entrance: outnumber.maps.recline

By Public Transport

Take the number 254 bus from Tunbridge Wells.  The nearest bus stop is Flimwell Corner Farm (near the Flimwell Crossroad).

Closest train station is Etchingham (on the Hastings line from Charing Cross or London Bridge). Tunbridge Wells, Frant and Wadhurst (on the Hastings line) and Staplehurst and Marden (on the Ashford line) are also nearby.

OS Grid Ref
TSQ 713 330

51.0722493, 0.4470063

Parking and prices

Entry fees are per vehicle

Pay on departure at the pay station in the car park. Our pay station machines are now cashless and only accept contactless or chip and pin card payments. 

Forestry England Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest Membership

Support Bedgebury by becoming a member, includes vehicle admission during daytime opening hours and a range of other benefits.

Other Memberships

Alternatively join the Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club and contribute to cycle trail developments. To ride your horse off bridleways at Bedgebury join TROT.

Car admission

Peak times all day - £14.50
(weekends, school holidays and bank holidays)

Off peak times all day - £11.00
(weekdays Monday - Friday term time only)

Any day early bird 8am - 11am - £3.80

late afternoon (Apr-Sept) 5pm - close - £3.80
(exit by 11am or arrive at 5pm) 

Coaches/Minibuses charges

Charge per vehicle:

Minibuses - £33.00

Coaches - £55.00

Car with trailer - peak: £31.00, off peak: £22.00

Any vehicle up to 20 minutes - for drop off and collection only - Free

Additional information

Number of accessible parking spaces: 16
Card payments accepted
Coaches/Minibuses welcomed

Facilities and access

Visiting Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest updated 1 May 2023.

Our car park is open with between 8am and 8pm daily. 

Plan your visit

Car park, toilets, accessible toilet, shower and Changing Places toilet

Open  

Visitor Centre information point & gift shop

Open 9.30am - 4.30pm daily 
Book our Tramper in advance

Bedgebury Cafe

Open daily 8.30am - 5pm 

Shipwreck Cafe and Pine Cone KioskOpen weekends, school and bank holidays 11am - approx. 3pm weather dependent 
Go Ape and Play areas

Open

Bike Shop and Hire Quench Cycles,Open  8am - 5pm 

Please follow the forest code. In an emergency call 999 before you let us know (on 01580 879820). 

For more information on planning your visit, take a look at our accessibility information:

Accessible play trail
Accessible toilet
Assistant dogs welcome
Baby changing facilities
Bike wash
Cafe
Changing places facilities
Cycle hire
Dogs allowed
Information point
Picnic area
Play Area
Shop
Shower
Toilets
Tramper/Mobility Scooter hire
Visitor Centre

Contact details

Come and explore our wonderful world of trees

Bedgebury is an award winning visitor attraction with something for everyone. Open all year, Bedgebury is the perfect place for healthy outdoor activity.

The National Pinetum is home to a world-leading collection of conifers and contains over 12,000 specimen trees. The trees and landscape create a beautiful setting for peaceful walks and picnics in the rolling hills and valleys of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Bedgebury National Pinetum is awe-inspiring for tree lovers looking to learn about tree species of international conservation importance and see them up close!

Learn more

Bedgebury Forest  has miles of trails for family cycling and mountain-biking, walking, and running. Enjoy climbing, jumping, sliding and swinging on the Play Trail with a range of play areas for different ages or explore the canopy on a Go Ape tree top adventure or tree top challengeThe Bedgebury cafe at the visitor centre has wonderful views of the pinetum and is set beside one of many lakes. You may also find Gruffalo and friends hiding at Bedgebury Pinetum!

Bedgebury National Pinetum - Marshal's lake autumn colour

Conifers at Bedgebury National Pinetum

Our special tree collection includes conifers from around the world and is breathtaking in its size and grandeur. Bedgebury is important on a global scale for species conservation, scientific advancement and the understanding of conifers. You can search our living library of trees using the interactive Pinetum Explorer map.

What's on

Dancing in the woods
Forest event
Sunday 2 July
10.30am
An incredible opportunity to be dancing barefoot, grounded, aligned and alive among the trees of the National Pinetum. A truly magical event not to be missed.
Man standing in a forest showing a group of people a camera
Forest event
14 June, 19 July, 23 August, 13 September, 11 October
8.30am - 11am
Learn how to capture the magic of the trees and landscapes in the National Pinetum guided by highly experienced local photographer David Jenner.
Forest event
24 September 2023
9am

Bedgebury Forest Runner

Be a forest runner and join us in our running series across the nation’s forests this autumn. The profits from Forest Runner sales help us grow, shape and care for your local forest, now and for future generations.

Whether you are a 5k or a 10k Forest Runner, choose your challenge and enjoy a run in some beautiful surroundings.

Join in the conversation using #ForestRunner

Click here to book 5k tickets

Click here to book 10k tickets

Members get 15% off Forest Runner tickets!

Forest Runner events are managed in partnership with Events of the North.

Forest event
Friday 17 November - Sunday 31 December 2023
Selected evenings
Time slots vary by date

A magical trail with new lights for 2023 – an after-dark stroll through an iconic, illuminated tree collection

Firmly positioned as unmissable within the UK’s seasonal calendar, Christmas at Bedgebury has everything you need for an unforgettable time with friends and family, including a magical glimpse of Father Christmas along the way. Discover softly-lit doves delicately balanced on branches, reed-like neon structures, sparkling tunnels of light and the Pinetum filled with all the colours of the rainbow as you walk under Liquid Sky, just one of the new displays to see this year. 

Grab a seasonal snack from the Bedgebury café at the visitor centre or one of the hand-picked street food vendors who bring an indulgent twist to tempting treats on offer. Complete your walk under the stars with a perfectly festive *spiced winter warmer, *hot chocolate or *toasted marshmallow and share it with someone special.

Your very merriest Christmas starts here. Limited capacity with timed entry.  Book now to secure the date and time of your choice. 

*separate charges apply

Dates

Friday 17 - Sunday 19 November Friday 24 - Sunday 26 November Wednesday 29 November - Sunday 10 December Tuesday 12 - Sunday 24 December  Tuesday 26 - Sunday 31 December 

Trail entry time slots

To avoid overcrowding and ensure the enjoyment of all visitors on the illuminated trail you will need to select a time slot during the booking stage.

Time slots vary depending on the date, but generally take place every 15 minutes between 4.15pm to 8pm. Please ensure you arrive at the trail entrance promptly for your allocated start time. Advanced booking is essential. 

Prices

Tickets are priced according to the date and time slot as peak, standard and off peak. Please select the time slot you wish to book and the relevant prices will be shown. Peak, off peak and standard times vary by date. Off-peak tends to apply to mid-week and later timeslots. Peak pricing tends to apply to weekend, closer to Christmas and earlier timeslots.  

Admission ticket type  Peak Standard  Off peak Adult £24 £21.50 £19 Child (3-16 years old) £17 £14.50 £13 Infant (0-2 years old) Free* Free* Free* Family (2 adults, 2 children) £79 £69 £61 Personal assistant Free* Free* Free*

 *there is no charge for infant or personal assistant entry but they must be booked in conjunction with a full price ticket.

All orders subject to £2.50 transaction fee.

Parking

There is a charge for parking at this special event. If you plan on arriving by car, a parking space must be purchased in advance along with your trail entry tickets online.  

Parking costs £8 per car. Accessible spaces for Blue Badge holders are available in the Visitor Centre car park. We are offering Bedgebury and National Forestry England Members one free parking space, this must be booked in advance, see below for details. 

Offer for Bedgebury & National Forestry England Members

We are offering all Bedgebury and National Forestry England Members one free parking space, when booked in advance. Make sure that you are logged in to your membership account and purchase an ‘adult trail entry' and 'parking’ ticket, our booking system will automatically change the price to a trail only ticket at checkout and allocate your free parking space.   

Please note, this is only available when booking tickets via Forestry England and not available in conjunction with any other offer. 

Relaxed Session

This session is for adults and young people, with additional needs, who would love to experience Christmas at Bedgebury without the usual high volumes of people. For Christmas at Bedgebury 2023, this will be held at 4pm on Wednesday 6 December.

More information & book 'Relaxed Session'

Food and drink

Holding coffee

Bedgebury cafe

Open daily from 8:30am, the cafe at the Visitor Centre serves a wide range of tasty, locally sourced food as well as Fairtrade tea and coffee. Look out for the Shipwreck cafe at the start of the Play Trail next to the Go Ape Cabin where you can pick up snacks and ice creams during weekends and holidays.

Going for a sensory walk helps you get outside, be active and connect with nature.

Choose from two Sensory Walks at Bedgebury:

The short loop is 0.8 miles. The surface is over various flat hard surfaces made of compacted gravel and suitable for wheelchairs. The long loop is 1.6 miles. The surface is over various flat hard surfaces made of compacted gravel and suitable for wheelchairs.

 

Before you visit, you may wish to download the Making Walks Sensory toolkit produced by Sense which contains advice on planning walks and some suggested sensory activities. It’s the perfect companion for a sensory walk!

You can access all the Sensory Walks by downloading the free OS Maps app. To find out more about the OS Maps app, discover more Sensory Walks across England, and to download the Making Walks Sensory toolkit visit the Sense website.

View the short loop.

View the long loop.

Get ready to join Zog on his latest forest adventure with a brand-new family activity trail and free app!

How does it work?

1. Download the new ‘Zog: A Forest Adventure’ app before you visit

Point the brand new app at special markers along the trail and access all sorts of exciting challenges as you go.

Thanks to amazing augmented reality technology, you’ll be able to collect golden stars, just like Zog and have the chance to take a photo with everyone’s favourite dragon at the end of the trail!

Capture the fun by saving videos and photos as you complete the bonus activities!

Get it on Google Play     Get it on the App Store

2. Get your claws on a Zog trail activity pack 

Grab the Zog trail activity pack for £4 from the forest information point.

Inside you’ll find: 

kraft bag to colour in. 

dragon wings to decorate and wear. 

Zog glasses. 

stickers. 

trail leaflet. 

pencil and crayon. 

3. Follow the trail

Collect golden stars as your little dragons learn how they can help care for the forest, and how the forests can care for them.  

Share your Zog fun using the #ZogTrail hashtag.

Zog © 2010 & TM Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

Your findings will help us protect and provide habitats, now and in the future. Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or enthusiast amateur, it's easy to take part.

Start recording ... Download the free iNaturalist app before you visit  In the app join the project Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest Find Discover and record wildlife through the app on your next visit

Download now on iOS

Download now on Android

iNaturalist is an independent third party application. Please check their full privacy policy and terms of service before signing up You can create records without having 4G or Wi-Fi in the forest. Download our full user guide and top tips

Click here for facilities and access information. 

Our cycle trails offer something for everyone, from beginners and families looking for a fun day out, to adrenalin junkies looking for a challenge.

Follow our 9km family cycle trail using shared use forest road or 13km of single-track for mountain-biking, there's lots to explore around this 2000 acre forest.

Nearby forests

Two ladies enjoying a dog walk at Jeskyns Community Woodland

Jeskyns is home to 360 acres of newly planted woodlands, meadows and orchards. With a good network of surfaced walking trails, children's play areas, café and even a dog activity trail, there is something for everyone to explore at any time of the year.

You can visit a Fairy and Elf Village, introduce the family to the Gruffalo and his friends, say hello to our cows, take the dog for a paddle or just sit and watch the world go by under wide skies full of singing skylarks.

Butchershole at Friston Forest woodland

Friston Forest is within the South Downs National Park between Lulington Heath National Nature Reserve and Seven Sisters Country Park. It is the largest area of recently established forest in South East England.

This expansive beech woodland makes a perfect family day out for those who love exploring the countryside. With walking and cycling trails, great views of the Cuckmere and the sweeping South Downs, Friston Forest has something for everyone.

Forest floor covered in bluebells at Abbot's Wood

Located near Polegate, Abbot's Wood is a great place for a stroll at any time of year, with walking trails, a medieval lake, play area, barbecues and picnic tables.

Thin trail running through conifer woodland

With around five miles of hard surface road and great networks of unsurfaced tracks, Hemsted Forest makes for a great day out, whatever the season!

The forest houses a mixture of conifer and broadleaf woodland and is rich in different bird species.

 

Membership invitation - click to find out more about membership
Volunteer with us invitation - click to discover volunteer opportunities across England