Forest bathing at Castlewellan Forest Park

Castlewellan Forest Park covers 450 hectares of mixed conifer and broadleaf woodland around a lake, just north of the Mourne Mountains. At its centre is the National Arboretum, built around the walled Annesley Garden, which dates from 1740. The collection is counted among the top three in the British Isles, with some of the oldest specimens of their kind and dozens of champion trees. Autumn colour here is very good.

The park is signposted from Main Street in Castlewellan, an easy walk from the town. Several waymarked trails circle the lake and look out over the countryside, and the arboretum and garden are open from 10am to sunset. The park is also used for mountain biking, horse riding and canoeing, and the Peace Maze and coffee house draw families, so the arboretum and the far side of the lake are the better bet for quiet time. Follow the biosecurity signs to help stop tree disease spreading.