Forest bathing in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire is one of England's least wooded counties, so the woods it has are small, old and precious. Hayley Wood near Longstowe is a classic ancient ash and oak wood on heavy clay, famous for its oxlips, and Gamlingay Wood nearby is similar, both looked after by the Wildlife Trust. Brampton Wood west of Huntingdon is the county's second largest ancient woodland, mostly oak, ash and field maple. Closer to Cambridge, Wandlebury Country Park on the Gog Magog Hills has beech plantations and chalk grassland, and Ferry Meadows at Peterborough mixes lakeside willow and young plantation.

Sessions are slow and short in distance: two or three hours spent mostly still, listening and noticing, with gentle invitations from the guide and tea at the end. The smallness of these woods is no disadvantage; a few acres is plenty. Check each guide's profile for dates, venues and prices.

Wandlebury is the simplest first visit, with a car park (charge applies), level paths through the beech rings and a regular bus from Cambridge. Ferry Meadows has free parking at the visitor centre, a cafe and surfaced paths that suit anyone who finds rough ground difficult.