Where to go · Shropshire
Forest bathing at Mortimer Forest
A thousand hectares of hillside forest above Ludlow, with long forest roads and plenty of room to find a quiet spot.
Mortimer Forest rises on the hills just south-west of Ludlow and runs across the border into Herefordshire. It covers about a thousand hectares and was largely planted by the Forestry Commission in the 1920s. It is big enough that, once you are past the first stretch from a car park, you can walk for a long time without meeting anyone.
Whitcliffe, close to Ludlow, is the easiest start and has a short loop; Vinnalls and Black Pool car parks give access to the higher, quieter forest. Some trails and the Vinnalls car park close from time to time for timber harvesting, so check the Forestry England page before you set off. Forest roads are firm, but the smaller paths climb steeply and get muddy in winter. Parking is free.
Practical
- Managed by
- Forestry England
- Parking
- Free car parks at Whitcliffe (weekdays only), Vinnalls and Black Pool; 2.1m height barriers at Vinnalls and Black Pool
- Terrain
- Forest roads and steeper hillside paths, muddy in winter
- Nearest station
- Ludlow, about 2 miles from Whitcliffe
- Facilities
- Picnic area; easy access trail (check status, sometimes closed)
- Opening and entry
- Open access, free; some areas close during forestry work
- Official page
- forestryengland.uk
Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.
Guides who run sessions here
No guides listed at Mortimer Forest yet
See forest bathing guides in Shropshire, who may run sessions nearby. If you guide here, list your practice for free and add Mortimer Forest to your venues.
More woodlands in Shropshire
All venues in Shropshire
Attingham ParkDeer park, riverside walks and very old oaks on a National Trust estate near Shrewsbury
Benthall Edge WoodSteep woodland above the Iron Bridge with oak, birch and old limekilns
Bury DitchesQuiet forest in south-west Shropshire, topped by a well-preserved Iron Age hill fortPhotos: Attingham Park, David Hawgood (CC BY-SA 2.0); Benthall Edge Wood, Fabian Musto (CC BY-SA 2.0); Bury Ditches, Fabian Musto (CC BY-SA 2.0).