Forest bathing at Tile Hill Wood

Tile Hill Wood is about 70 acres of mixed woodland on the western edge of Coventry, between Hawthorn Lane and Banner Lane. Oak, birch and hazel coppice grow alongside ash, sweet chestnut and stands of spruce and larch, with bluebells among the typical woodland plants. The city made it a nature reserve in 1930, and it has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1952. A 1947 gale flattened about five acres of spruce, and the replanting changed the feel of the wood.

A network of paths and rides runs through it, including a specially built path of about 660 metres for people with disabilities, with metal tap rails for visually impaired visitors. The rides are good for slow walking, and the wood is big enough to find a quiet bench or log away from the edges. Coventry also looks after smaller woods nearby, including Plants Hill Wood and Pig Wood, if you want more.