Forest bathing in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire's woods are in its hills. The Chilterns in the south-east are beech country: Warburg Nature Reserve in Bix Bottom near Henley is beech and yew with chalk grassland, and Cowleaze Wood above Watlington is Forestry England mixed woodland on the escarpment. Little Wittenham Wood below the Wittenham Clumps is the Earth Trust's oak and ash above the Thames. On the east edge of Oxford, Shotover Country Park is ancient oak and birch with heath, and in the west the Wychwood remnants near Charlbury hint at a royal forest that once covered the limestone hills.

Forest bathing is a quiet, guided couple of hours in a small group. You move slowly, stop often, and are given simple invitations to notice what the wood is doing around you. Shotover is a short bus ride from the city centre, and the Chiltern beech woods are at their best in spring and autumn. Each guide's profile lists their dates and prices.

Shotover Country Park is a straightforward first visit, with a free car park on Old Road and buses from the city. Warburg has a small car park and a visitor centre, and is quiet even at weekends.