Forest bathing at Willsbridge Valley

Willsbridge Valley is a small Avon Wildlife Trust reserve of about 4 hectares, tucked among housing estates on the eastern edge of Bristol. It was once a milling site, a quarry and a coal tramway, and is now woodland, ponds and a wildlife garden, with a stream where you may see dippers and kingfishers. A heritage sculpture trail picks out the industrial history as you go.

It is small enough for a short, slow visit rather than a long walk. Use the car park at the rear of the site rather than Burney Way. Footpaths run right through the valley, and there is wheelchair access via Willsbridge Hill to most of it, though the paths can be muddy. The woods are at their best in spring, with bluebells and red campion, and the Trust suggests April to July as the best time to visit. Dogs must be on a lead.