Forest bathing at Killerton

Killerton is a large National Trust estate near Exeter, with a house and a historic garden known for its shrubs and specimen trees, set in parkland with extensive woodland. Above the house is Dolbury Hill, known as the Clump, with the remains of an Iron Age fort. On the ancient trees walk you pass sweet chestnuts planted around 250 years ago, the kind of trees worth stopping under for a long look.

The parkland is open dawn to dusk, and the circular walk up to the Clump crosses Front Park, so you can leave the busy garden and house behind quite quickly. The site is hilly and some garden routes are steep, but the garden paths themselves are tarmac or fine gravel. In autumn the parkland trees are at their best; in winter the bare chestnuts and the long views from the hill make a quieter visit.