Deep Filling Farm

01/04/2026

Reel showing custom hand made guest information book, customised doormat showcasing attention to detail

01/04/2026

After 6 months of closure while building work was taking place to convert the old piggery and hen house , The Cider Press once again welcomed guests. As ever the guests we got are just the loveliest people and are loving all the high end touches and attention to detail that we provide ♥️
Whilst the Cider Press has been closed Chrissie has been busy making a custom doormat with the new logo, a new guest book, hand bound hardback, written and designed herself, and new mugs to match the rural countryside Asthetics.

13/03/2026

Spring sunshine after a night of heavy rain. We’re in love with the world 🌎

13/03/2026

It’s a beautiful time of year here , the bluebells are starting to come up. We have plenty to do after a winter of rain and winds affecting trees that need processing into firewood to keep us warm next winter 🥰🌱🌷🌸

27/12/2025

Are you relaxing at home and thinking of booking your next break? Why not plan a visit to the fantastic Forest of Dean? Wonderful walks, fantastic food and peaceful woodlands to nourish the soul. ❤️ if you’re thinking of coming don’t settle for less than a supremely comfortable bed for blissful sleep , a roaring log fire to relax in front of, we have a 4.98 review score on Airbnb for all the little and big touches we make to our holiday lets. Book directly with us via the website for the best prices that are always 15% cheaper than on other sites. Hope to see you 🔜

17/12/2025

Coming soon 🔜 ❤️ two high equality eco friendly hideaways to relax in and explore the beautiful Forest of Dean. Next to Ley Brook and in a ten acre woodland site, your next restful break is being built for you 🧘‍♂️🧘🧘‍♀️

21/11/2025

Beautiful waterfall after the rain here 😍

27/10/2025

The fabulous Over Farm with a fun seasonal event suitable for all ages ❤️

Pumpkins After Dark is back every night next week! 😱

That means more fire shows, more Baileys hot chocolates and definitely more pumpkins!

If you want to be part of the fun, you'll want to head to the website and grab those last tickets! 🎃

https://www.overfarm.co.uk/pick-your-own/pumpkins-after-dark/

23/08/2025

What’s older than dinosaurs, older than trees, and right on our doorstep?

The Blaisdon Fault runs along Brights Hill and marks the spot where ancient Silurian rocks meet the younger rocks of the Severn Vale. These layers were once at the bottom of a tropical sea, long before trees or land animals existed. Later, vast forces during mountain-building events bent and folded the rocks so dramatically that at Huntley Quarry you can actually see them twisted and overturned.

It’s unusual because faults this visible and accessible are rare in Britain. When you stand there, you’re quite literally on the scar of a collision between continents — a window into Earth’s deep history just a short walk from our front door.

17/08/2025

It’s harvest time for our bees! 🐝 This weekend we’ve been collecting the summer’s honey – and what a season it’s been. Alongside gathering nectar, the bees have had to defend their hives from wasps and even the odd hornet.

Bees have an amazing way of dealing with intruders: instead of stinging, they surround the wasp in a tight buzzing ball and vibrate their wings until the heat rises high enough to stop it in its tracks. Fierce little defenders!

All this hard work means we’ll soon have fresh jars of golden honey available. And for our holiday cottage guests, we pop a little jar into the welcome pack – a sweet taste of life here at Deep Filling Farm. 🍯

01/08/2025

💧 St Anthony’s Well: Forest Waters with a Sacred Past 💧

Hidden in the quiet woods near Mitcheldean, St Anthony’s Well is one of the Forest of Dean’s oldest and most mysterious places. Tucked beneath the trees, its icy waters have drawn pilgrims, healers, and curious wanderers for centuries.

Monks from nearby Flaxley Abbey once visited it, but its story goes even further back—flint tools found nearby suggest this spring was sacred long before Christianity. Some say Iron Age tribes gathered here long before any church was built.

Stone steps still lead down into the spring’s 3-foot deep basin. In the 1800s, people would come here to be baptised or healed. The legend says if you dip in the freezing water nine times at sunrise in May, it cures skin diseases, leprosy, even bad eyes and aching joints.

Others believed you had to return twelve times—taking one more step into the water each visit.

🌿 But the well’s energy isn’t just Christian. In the 19th century, it was used by wise women and herbalists who held quiet pagan rituals and healing ceremonies deep in the woods. Some call it a pagan baptismal font—a meeting point between old gods and new faiths.

Even today, the place feels different. Still. Cold. Sacred. People still visit at dawn to dip cloths, leave offerings, or just sit and feel something ancient in the air.

If you go, don’t expect a tourist site—expect silence, birdsong, and cold, bone-deep water. And maybe, if you’re open to it, a sense of something watching from the trees.

29/07/2025

🐻 Who killed the bears? The Bears of Ruardean: A True Forest Tragedy 🐻

Deep in the Forest of Dean, the quiet village of Ruardean still carries the shadow of a legend that’s more fact than folklore—one soaked in outrage, rumour, and regret.

In 1889, four Frenchmen came through the area with a travelling act: two tame Russian bears. They passed through Cinderford, heading toward Ruardean. But somewhere along the way, a false rumour spread—that the bears had killed a child and mauled a woman.

The response was instant and violent. A mob of 200 locals descended on the showmen. The bears were attacked—one beaten to death, the other shot while trying to escape. The Frenchmen were also assaulted, left bloodied and terrified.

But here’s the twist: Ruardean villagers were the ones who stepped in to help. They hid the showmen, treated their injuries, and helped them survive the night.

Despite this, Ruardean took the blame. The taunt “Who killed the bears?” echoed for generations—an unfair insult pinned to the wrong place. In truth, most of the attackers came from elsewhere.

Thirteen men were eventually arrested. Some jailed. Fines were paid. But the damage was done—not just to the men and animals, but to the village’s name.

Over time, the tragedy turned into legend. It inspired plays, films, and Forest folklore. But it’s more than a quirky tale—it’s a story of mass hysteria, misplaced blame, and how one violent night can leave a lasting mark on a community.

Next time someone jokes, “Who killed the bears?”
Now you know. And you know it wasn’t Ruardean.