Forest bathing in Sussex

Sussex has more forest bathing guides than almost any county in England, and it isn’t hard to see why. The High Weald is one of the most wooded landscapes in the country, a patchwork of ancient oak and beech woods, sunken lanes and small fields that hasn’t changed much in five hundred years. To the north the Ashdown Forest opens out into heath and pine; to the south the Downs drop to the sea, with chalk woodland like Friston Forest tucked into the folds.

Most guides here run two or three hour public sessions on weekend mornings between March and November, with a smaller winter programme in the more sheltered woods. Group sizes are small, usually six to twelve, and prices run from about £25 to £45 a person. Several guides also offer private sessions for couples or small groups, and a handful work with employers in Brighton, Crawley and Gatwick on team sessions.

If you haven’t been before, the Ashdown Forest is the obvious place to start: easy parking, open paths, and guides who know it well. Wakehurst near Haywards Heath runs its own seasonal sessions in the botanic garden and the surrounding woods, which are a good fit if you’d rather not walk far.