Forest bathing in Cheshire

Cheshire's woodland is spread thin across dairy country, but the pieces that remain are good. Delamere Forest in the centre of the county is the big one, Forestry England's largest wood in Cheshire, with Scots pine and birch around Blakemere Moss and a restored mossland. On the sandstone edge to the east, Alderley Edge has beech, oak and pine on a wooded escarpment with views to the Pennines. Macclesfield Forest climbs into conifer above the reservoirs, with Tegg's Nose Country Park next to it, and Marbury Country Park at Northwich has lime avenues and old parkland beside Budworth Mere.

A session here is unhurried: two to three hours spent mostly still among the trees, with a guide offering simple invitations to notice what is around you, and tea at the end. Delamere's pines are sheltered enough for winter, and its flat ground suits anyone avoiding a climb. Each guide's profile lists their own dates, venues and prices.

Delamere Forest is the easy starting point, with its own railway station on the Chester to Manchester line, a visitor centre, cafe and surfaced trails. Marbury has a large car park and level paths through the parkland and down to the mere.