Forest bathing at Benthall Edge Wood

Benthall Edge Wood climbs more than 100 metres above the River Severn on the south side of the Ironbridge Gorge, forming the wooded backdrop to the Iron Bridge itself. Oak, birch, rowan and holly grow on the upper slopes, with ash and wych elm lower down, and the wood holds the large-leaved lime, one of Britain's rarest native trees. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, cared for by the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust.

This was once a busy industrial hillside, and old limestone quarries, mineshafts, limekilns and the traces of tramways are still there among the trees, now softened by moss and leaf litter. The Shropshire Way runs through it, and the Trust publishes a Lime Trail leaflet and a set of historic walks. Expect steep slopes and steps; it is not an easy-access wood. Walking up from the Ironbridge side soon leaves the town behind.