Room on the Broom Trail at Haldon Forest
Do your kids love Julia Donaldson books? If so, they (and you) may be excited to hear there’s a magical Room on the Broom Trail coming to Haldon Forest Park near Exeter in Devon.
All the way until 3 January 2027, Haldon Forest is one of 27 Forestry England sites around the country where you can find the activity trail. It is the latest chapter the successful partnership between Forestry England and Magic Light Pictures, and celebrates the 25th anniversary of this set of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler-created characters.
Room on the Broom is the latest book to inspire Haldon’s family activity trail following on from the Gruffalo, Zog, Highway Rat, Stickman and Superworm trails you might have enjoyed in recent years.
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What to expect on the new Room on the Broom trail
Specially designed for families with young children, the Room on the Broom activity trail is packed with activities, fascinating forest facts, and plenty of hands on fun. It’s the perfect way for families to explore the great outdoors.
Follow the route of Haldon Forest’s Discovery Trail, to discover interactive activity panels to help Witch find her lost hat, bow and wand, and collect magical ingredients to complete her spell.
How long is the Room on the Broom trail at Haldon Forest?
The Discovery Trail at Haldon Forest is 1.5 mile long and is mostly flat. The path is suitable for pushchairs but there are often puddles after rain. Wellington boots are recommended.
Be aware that you have to cross a road twice and the trail is also used by cyclists.
The walk and activities should keep your kids entertained for around an hour.
How much does the Room on the Broom trail pack cost?
You can follow the trail and look at the activity boards for free, but for some extra activities there’s a Room on the Broom trail pack. This is available to buy for £4 from Haldon Forest’s Info Pod (open from 10am to 4pm daily) by the car park.
The pack includes:
- a themed lanyard
- magic spell cards
- stickers
- a pencil
- and a pop-out and craft witchy wand.
The Room on the Broom activity trail continues throughout 2026.
What’s happened to the Gruffalo Trail?
Can’t get enough of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s characters? You can still follow the Gruffalo around Haldon Forest Pick up a Gruffalo Orienteering map to complete while walking the Discovery Trail that the Room on the Broom trial follows.
This costs £1.50 and is available from the Info Pod.
You can also hire a Forest Activity Bag with tools to help you find out more about the forest and what lives there for £5. This must be returned to the Info Pod but you get a goodie bag to take home.
Where is Haldon Forest Park?
Find the car park where you start the Stick Man Activity Trail at: Bullers Hill, Kennford, Exeter EX6 7XR.
It’s also the perfect budget day out or stop off on the way to Cornwall if you’re only passing through Devon during the school holidays.
Parking at Haldon Forest
Parking costs £5.50 for up to two hours, £7 for up to four hours and £9.50 all day. These prices apply all day every day.
Download and use the Ringo app for contactless payment. There is a small additional fee for parking notifications but you can turn these off in your app.
Alternatively, if you visit regularly, you can buy membership for £50 per year, which includes parking.
Find out more about visiting Haldon Forest.
Looking for more thing to do near Exeter? Check out these posts:
Bored kids?
Cappy the Crab’s Devon Activity Book is a digital download packed with puzzles, games and creative sheets to keep your kids entertained during holidays and at home.
RRP: £5.50
