Now booking for Spring 2010!
Spring is a fantastic time of year to visit the forest, with all kinds of wildlife appearing. Delamere Forest is the only significant area of mature forest remaining in Cheshire. Its varied landform and species including the flooded forest of Blakemere are ideal for all kinds of outdoor learning.
Delamere is within one hour’s travel by coach from most of Cheshire, Merseyside, South Manchester, Wirral, Flintshire and Wrexham. You can also visit us by train. We have a station which is a short walk from our classroom, with hourly trains from Manchester and Chester. http://www.northernrail.org/ Each train can accomodate around 30 children; and offers a fun, affordable, environmentally friendly way to visit us.
Our learning team can help to support your visit, with a range of ranger-led activities. All assisted school visits include use of our classroom space and learning garden unless agreed at the time of booking (which can also be used for lunch in case of poor weather depending on the activity chosen). When not in use by assisted groups, our classroom is also available to hire at a cost of £15 per hour.
All self-led schools visits are free. All self-led parties should complete a booking form to notify us of their visit so that we are aware of your presence in the forest and can contact your group in case of emergency.
To book a ranger-led visit please choose from the range of activities on offer.:
Foundation & Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 & 4 Post 16
Complete the booking form. and return it to us at:
Learning Team,Delamere Forest, Linmere, Delamere Cheshire CW8 2JD
Or send it to us by fax on 01606 301083
We recommend that all teachers carry out a pre-visit for both assisted and unassisted visits. Our learning team will be happy to meet you to discuss your groups needs from 9-5 during the week and may be able to help at some weekends depending on availability. Click here to download our risk assessment for self-led groups. All groups are responsible for completing their own risk assessment in addition to this to take into account their specific needs and the activities they plan to undertake while visiting us.
We are also able to offer bespoke visits for schools.
Self-led activities
Why not have a go at using some of our self-led activities during your visit? Our winter and spring activities are good fun to use at this time of year.
New land-based diploma and GCSE Pack! Download our new pack aimed at land-based diploma and GCSE science groups using the forest for investigative project work. Download pack and map and tree key.
Check out our climate change information pack which is an excellent classroom resource for upper key stage 2 and key stage 3 and 4 students as well as teachers. We have also developed a DVD called "The world is hot enough" about climate change. Download it here:
Download in Quicktime format (mov | 108MB)
Download in Windows Media format (wmv | 111MB)
Tell us what you think!
Have you been on a school visit to Delamere? Fill in our evaluation form and tell us what you think! Or email us with your suggestions.
All groups having led sessions at Delamere will be given an evaluation form to complete at the end of their visit. Please fill in and return your form- we use them to help improve future visits.
Other facilities
Other facilities available to schools include toilets (including disabled), which are adjacent to the learning garden and classroom (also used by the general public), a public picnic area with shelter, a cafe (schools wishing to use the cafe should indicate so on the booking form), waymarked trails, cycle hire, Go Ape (advance booking essential) and a permanent orienteering course.
New for 2009/10 we are supporting Reaseheath College in running a National Award in Forestry and Arboriculture, based partly at Delamere and partly at Reaseheath College, Northwich.
Maps
A photocopied map is sent to all schools with their booking confirmation, however if you wish to use the wider forest it will be useful to purchase a map which shows all the waymarked trails and cycle routes from the information centre at a cost of £2. Orienteering maps may also be purchased at a cost of £1.
Information about family and adult learning at Delamere can be found on our events pages.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like more information about learning at Delamere please contact Joanne Holland or by phone: 01606 882 167 (option 9)
