Forest bathing at Ashton Court Estate

Ashton Court is an 850-acre estate of woods and grassland just west of Bristol. It is owned by Bristol City Council but lies mainly in North Somerset. The landscape was shaped by Humphry Repton, and it has been a deer park for more than 600 years; around 200 red and fallow deer live here today. Much of the estate is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with ancient oaks, some over 700 years old.

There are three pay car parks: Mansion House, Church Lodge and Clifton Lodge by the golf course. The mansion, with its café and toilets, is the busy centre. Head out to the woods and to Clarken Combe on the western edge, where narrow-lipped helleborine grows under the beech. The council publishes woodland, deer and mansion walk guides. Ground can be hilly and uneven, so it is not the easiest site for wheelchairs. Keep to the paths in the deer enclosures, keep dogs on a short lead, and stick to clear paths to reduce the risk of ticks.