Forest bathing at Croft Castle and Parkland

Croft is a National Trust estate of about 1,500 acres of woodland, farmland and parkland north-west of Leominster. It has more than 300 veteran trees, among them the Quarry Oak, thought to be around 1,000 years old, and an avenue of Spanish chestnuts that was once the main approach to the castle. Fishpool Valley was landscaped in the late 18th century in the Picturesque style, with a chain of pools, a grotto, an icehouse and a Gothic pumphouse, and a Douglas fir that is the tallest tree in Herefordshire.

There are five waymarked walks from the car park. The Ghost Trees walk is about four miles and takes in many of the old trees; the Fishpool Valley walk drops into the shade along the pools, which is usually the quietest and most sheltered part of the estate. Croft Ambrey hillfort sits above, with a walk that circles it and returns along the edge of the valley. Paths are mostly unsurfaced and the valley can be muddy after rain. Pokehouse Wood is another option for ancient trees.