Forest bathing at Sydenham Hill Wood

Sydenham Hill Wood is London Wildlife Trust's oldest nature reserve, 11 hectares that, with neighbouring Dulwich Wood, form the largest surviving part of the old Great North Wood. Sessile oak and hornbeam are the backbone, with more than 200 species of trees and plants. In the 1850s large villas with big gardens were built here; most were later demolished and the wood grew back over them, so you will come across garden plants and a small Victorian folly among the trees. The track bed of an old railway leads to a closed tunnel that is now a bat roost.

The main entrance is on Crescent Wood Road, about ten minutes' walk from Sydenham Hill station. Cox's Walk, an oak avenue laid out in 1742, crosses the wood on a footbridge over the old railway. Paths are uneven, with plenty of steps and slopes; if you want flatter ground, come into the lower part of the wood through Dulwich Wood. The Trust suggests April to July and September to November as the best times. Dogs must be kept on a lead, and there are benches but no toilets on site.