Forest bathing at Norsey Wood

Norsey Wood is 175 acres of ancient woodland on the edge of Billericay, protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Local Nature Reserve. Its rides may date back to the Iron Age, and it appears on a map of 1593. Much of it is still coppiced, mainly sweet chestnut with oak, hornbeam and alder, and the ground flora shows its age: bluebells, wood anemone and lily-of-the-valley. Basildon Council bought the wood in 1976, saving it from housing.

From April into May the woodland floor is covered in bluebells, the best time for a visit if you can manage a weekday. The car park and information centre are on Outwood Common Road; there are toilets, a nature trail and an easy access trail. You can also walk in from Billericay station via Norsey Road and Deerbank, reaching the information centre after about a kilometre along the main ride.