Forest bathing in Norfolk

Norfolk's woods come in two kinds. In the Brecks around Thetford, Thetford Forest is the largest lowland pine forest in Britain, mile after mile of Scots and Corsican pine on sandy heath. In the north the woodland is older and broader: Felbrigg's Great Wood near Cromer has ancient beech, Sheringham Park mixes oak woodland with rhododendrons above the coast, and Holt Country Park is pine and birch on the edge of a small town. Foxley Wood, between Dereham and Fakenham, is the county's largest ancient woodland, a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve of oak, ash and hazel coppice.

The point of a session is to slow down enough to notice the wood properly. A guide takes a small group a short way in, offers a series of unhurried invitations, and leaves long gaps for sitting or standing still; two to three hours pass quickly. Pine forest smells and sounds different from broadleaf wood, so Norfolk offers a real choice. Guide profiles below carry dates, locations and prices.

High Lodge in Thetford Forest has a big car park, cafe, toilets and firm, well-marked trails. Holt Country Park is quieter, with a visitor centre, parking and short waymarked walks through the pines.