Forest bathing at Brandon Country Park

Brandon Country Park sits on Bury Road at the edge of Brandon, where the town meets Thetford Forest. It has an arboretum with copper beech, false acacia and monkey puzzle trees, a walled garden, a lake and a mausoleum, and paths that lead straight out into the forest. The mix of old estate trees and plantation makes it a gentle, varied place for a slow walk, and a calmer choice than the bigger forest centres nearby.

Three colour-marked walks start from the visitor centre. The Red Walk is an easy loop of about a mile and a half around the lake; the Purple Walk goes further through the park; and the Orange Walk, about six miles, heads into Thetford Forest and passes the mausoleum, with some steeper slopes. Surfaces are a mix of compact gravel, earth and grass, uneven in places, with exposed roots. The lake is the easiest place to stop and sit, and autumn colour in the arboretum is worth the trip.