Review: Shining Cliff Woods Hostel

Updated: Jun 6, 2023

At May half term and to celebrate my birthday I rallied the troops and together we enjoyed a nights stay at Shining Cliff Hostel, set in the ancient and beautiful woodlands near Ambergate.

The hostel can be hired exclusively and sleeps 20 people in bunk rooms:

2x 6 bed, 1x 4 bed & 2x 2 bed. There is an exclusive price per night or sometimes just rooms can be hired with individual prices of £15 per adult and £7.50 per child.

The hostel is modern and well equipped with lots of amenities and includes: wifi, oven, dishwasher, hot water urn, microwave, crockery, utensils and basics like tea, coffee, oils, foil, washing up liquid etc.

There is a large table, lots of chairs, 3 bathrooms and extras like toy boxes, dog blankets & bowls, fire pit box etc. The hotel has its own fire pit with seating for use.

The fire pit was a big hit with the kids and from dusk til dark we sat around telling stories, making s'mores and playing on the rope swing and exploring the surroundings including a bat cave behind the hostel!

The hostel is away from the real world, you park up in the middle of the woods and use wheelbarrows to transport your stuff to the hostel along the half mile track! It's the ultimate get-away surrounded by tranquility.

There are lovely circular walks in the woods, a big pond, open areas to run and clamber on rocks, the rock-a-bye-baby tree to visit and endless den building opportunities!

One night was not enough time to fully make the most of the surroundings, but certainly provided a woodland adventure!

We checked out the hostel at 10am and then simply popped all of our stuff in the woodland hut next door that you can hire for £20 a day. This then provided us with shelter, an outside toilet and includes the use of the fire pit where we enjoyed time around the fire again toasting crumpets and allowed more time spent in the woods!