Forest bathing at Burnham Beeches

Burnham Beeches, near Farnham Common, is mainly ancient semi-natural woodland, with wood pasture, grassland, heath and ponds. It is a National Nature Reserve and Special Area of Conservation, cared for by the City of London. The ancient beech pollards are the reason most people come: trees that were probably cut back every ten to fifteen years for firewood, which has helped them live far longer than an uncut beech would. Oak, ash, hornbeam, silver birch, rowan and Scots pine grow among them.

The main car park is on Lord Mayors Drive, beside the café, toilets and information point, and the surfaced drives through the wood are shared with cyclists and horse riders, who must keep to the tarmac. Walk off onto the woodland paths and you can find a pollard to sit under within minutes. Autumn brings colour and a long list of fungi, which you are asked not to pick. Cattle and ponies graze parts of the reserve; they are docile breeds, but give them room.