Forest bathing at Broxbourne Woods

Broxbourne Wood and Bencroft Wood are the county council's part of the Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve, the only NNR in Hertfordshire and also a Special Area of Conservation. The woodland is mainly sessile oak and hornbeam, here at the northern edge of its natural range, and it is ancient woodland with waymarked routes through it. Part of Broxbourne Wood is open grassland grazed by livestock. Purple emperor butterflies, great crested newts and woodcock all live here.

Each wood has two small free car parks, and each has a short waymarked circular walk, about 2 km around Broxbourne Wood and a little less around Bencroft Wood, which suit a slow wander of an hour or two. For something longer, the 17.5 km NNR Trail links the woods of the reserve together. An easy access sculpture trail in Broxbourne Wood gives level going for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The neighbouring Wormley Wood, run by the Woodland Trust, is part of the same reserve if you want to go further.