Forest bathing in Derbyshire

Derbyshire's woods split between the gritstone and the limestone. Padley Gorge on the Longshaw Estate near Grindleford is upland oak and birch over boulders and a tumbling brook, among the best known woods in the Peak District. Shining Cliff Woods above Ambergate is sessile oak on a steep bank of the Derwent, a Woodland Trust site. In the limestone dales, Dovedale has ash woodland on the valley sides, and Lathkill Dale is similar. Nearer the towns, Elvaston Castle Country Park outside Derby has old parkland and Linacre Reservoirs near Chesterfield have beech and oak round the water.

A session in these valleys is about slowing down: two or three hours covering a few hundred metres, sitting by the water, standing among the oaks, and tea to finish. The gritstone woods are sheltered enough for winter and the dales are best in spring. Each guide's profile gives their own dates, venues and prices.

Longshaw is the easiest first visit, with National Trust parking (pay and display), a cafe at the lodge and level paths before the gorge drops away; Grindleford station is a mile's walk. Elvaston Castle has a big car park and flat ground close to Derby.