Forest bathing at Bradfield Woods

Bradfield Woods, south-east of Bury St Edmunds, is a 70-hectare National Nature Reserve run by Suffolk Wildlife Trust and one of the finest ancient woodlands in Britain. It has been coppiced continuously since at least 1252, and some of its ash stools are thought to be more than a thousand years old. Working the wood in rotation leaves a patchwork of open, newly cut areas and taller, older growth, which suits dormice, woodland birds, wildflowers and fungi. Bluebells come up in spring.

The car park is free, and there are toilets, an accessible toilet and a picnic area near the entrance. Around five miles of paths make up three colour-coded trails; trail guides are kept by the notice board. The paths are not suitable for wheelchairs. The Trust suggests spring, high summer and autumn as the best times: March to May for flowers, July and August, and October to November for colour and fungi. Dogs must be on a lead, and sheep graze parts of the reserve at times.