Forest bathing at Hatfield Forest

Hatfield Forest is a former royal hunting forest of about 1,000 acres near Bishop's Stortford, now cared for by the National Trust and protected as a National Nature Reserve. It is a mix of coppiced woodland, ancient oaks and wood pasture, open grassland dotted with old trees, where cattle graze in season. Fallow and muntjac deer live here too. Moving between dense coppice and open, tree-studded grassland gives a visit a gentle rhythm, and there is plenty of room to find a tree of your own.

Most people head first for the lake, where the Forest Café (outdoor seating only) and toilets are. The area around the lake has level access and some boardwalks; beyond that the rides and paths are uneven and rough, and in winter they get muddy and waterlogged, so boots are a good idea. In summer, yellow meadow ant hills make the grassland lumpy underfoot. The forest is open dawn to dusk, and walkers can still come in when the car parks are shut.