Forest bathing at Irchester Country Park

Irchester Country Park covers about 50 hectares on the edge of Wellingborough and is run by North Northamptonshire Council. It is built on old ironstone quarries, and woodland has grown up and been planted over the workings, so you walk past old quarry faces and the lines of former railways under the trees. A small museum run by volunteers tells the story of the quarrying. It is an unusual place, where the industrial past shows through the woodland.

The pay and display car park is off Gypsy Lane, next to the visitor centre, café and toilets. The main paths near the centre and the play areas are usually well surfaced and fine for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The woodland trails and old quarry paths are earthier, uneven and muddy after rain, with gentle to moderate slopes, and these are where you will find quiet. The play park and high ropes mean the centre is lively at weekends. Wear sturdy shoes.