Forest bathing at Sheffield Park and Garden

Sheffield Park is a Grade I listed landscape garden near Uckfield, shaped by Capability Brown and Humphry Repton and later planted by Arthur Soames. Five lakes, linked by bridges and the Pulham Falls cascade, run down through collections of trees and shrubs, and the water doubles every colour. Beyond the garden there are more than 250 acres of open parkland. The National Trust lists it as one of its places to go forest bathing.

Autumn is the famous season; May and October are the busiest months. For a quieter visit, come early on a weekday, or in winter when the bare trees and still water have their own calm. The parkland is open from dawn to dusk and is rougher underfoot. Garden paths are mostly loose gravel and grass, with accessible routes around the lakes.