A woodland track running between trees on Ashdown Forest, East Sussex

Where to go · East Sussex

Forest bathing at Ashdown Forest

Open heath, pine and birch over 6,500 acres of the High Weald, with quiet woodland away from the car parks.

Ashdown Forest covers more than 6,500 acres of the High Weald, most of it open heathland mixed with pine, birch and older woodland. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. The forest is big enough that you can walk a short way from almost any car park and find yourself alone with the wind in the pines and the birdsong.

If you haven't been forest bathing before, this is an easy place to start. Many people begin at the Ashdown Forest Centre at Wych Cross, where there is a café, toilets and an information barn with maps. The heath is open and exposed, so on a wet or windy day the wooded tracks and clumps of pine give better shelter. Paths are mostly unsurfaced, so good boots help in wet weather.

Practical

Managed by
Conservators of Ashdown Forest
Parking
Pay and display car parks across the forest, managed by Horizon Parking; Blue Badge holders park free
Terrain
Open heath with pine, birch and oak; mostly unsurfaced sandy and grassy paths
Nearest station
East Grinstead is the nearest mainline station
Facilities
Café, toilets and Information Barn at the Ashdown Forest Centre, Wych Cross (limited opening)
Opening and entry
Open access, free to walk
Official page
ashdownforest.org

Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.

Guides nearby

A guide within 15 miles of Ashdown Forest

More woodlands in East Sussex

All venues in East Sussex
A trackway through the trees of Abbot's Wood near Polegate, East SussexAbbot’s WoodAncient woodland and a medieval lake near Polegate, with two short waymarked walksA sunken lane running between trees in Brede High Woods, East SussexBrede High Woods647 acres of old High Weald woodland with sunken lanes, streams and few peopleInside Flatropers Wood near Beckley, East SussexFlatropers WoodFlat oak and birch wood near Beckley, with old coppice and sunny rides

Photos: Abbot’s Wood, Ethan Doyle White (CC BY-SA 4.0); Brede High Woods, Patrick Roper (CC BY-SA 2.0); Flatropers Wood, Julian P Guffogg (CC BY-SA 2.0).