Forest bathing at Millennium Country Park, Forest of Marston Vale

The Forest of Marston Vale is a community forest covering 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes. Since 1991 tree cover across the Vale has risen from 3.6 per cent to 16.9 per cent, and nearly three million trees, shrubs and hedgerows have been planted. The Millennium Country Park at Marston Moretaine is its centrepiece: 225 hectares of young woodland, grassland and meadows, with a wetlands nature reserve.

This is a young, planted forest rather than an ancient one, and much of the park is a mix of new woodland and open ground. Start from the Forest Centre on Station Road, which has a café. The Wetlands Nature Reserve is a good place to sit quietly and watch for birds, and guided walks and volunteer days run through the year. The park is open around the clock every day of the year, though the Forest Centre keeps its own hours.