Forest Bathe courses run in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and surrounding counties from Herefordshire to Monmouthshire. It’s a beautiful corner of the UK with rich natural landscapes and glorious woodlands. The perfect mix for rejuvenating forest bathing experiences.
Carina has carefully selected ‘nests’ in the outdoors, within beautiful woodland settings; called ‘nests’ because they are safe spaces. They are as inclusive and accessible as possible, with access to shelter and facilities if needed. No two ‘nests’ are the same, each one has its own distinctive woodland character. All are welcoming!
Soudley Woods
This Forestry England site is peaceful and nestled within a secluded mixed woodland setting, overlooking the tree canopy and the surrounding Forest of Dean. You will not go far from this single gently sloping forest track, ensuring easy navigation. Relax and be fanned by the low hanging branches of beech trees as you stroll between soft green carpets of moss. Here you can find stillness and calm.
Getting there:
- Car: Free parking
- Train: Lydney station is a twenty- minute taxi ride away.
- Or by bike.
Facilities:
- Restaurant/Café: at The Dean Heritage Centre, Soudley, 5- minute drive away.
- Toilets: Accessible toilets (from the road) at The Dean Heritage Centre.
The Wilderness Centre
Facilities: fire pit, disabled parking and toilets. Toilets are 200m from the parking and also from the woods. On returning to the site it is necessary to go up a gradually sloping tarmac driveway. The woodland paths are made up of well trodden natural forest tracks and are on flat ground.
Nant y Bedd Forest Garden
This site, nestled in the Black Mountains, north of Abergavenny is truly a sanctuary; a place to restore your whole being and leave technology behind.
The small, private 3.5 acre conifer woodland close by to parking and facilities passes via a wild flower meadow and natural swimming pond. The gentle meandering paths are flat and soft with pine needles under foot- perfect for those unable to walk very far or recovering from injury. These lead you immediately, via a small number of steps to the edge of the Grwyne Fawr river which is SSSI – designated for salmon and otter amongst other things, as well as being a Special Area for Conservation (SAC). Here you can dip your toes and wander along its grassy bank. There is a bench to sit on along the way and when it has rained, marvel at the water fall on the opposite bank.
The secluded forest garden of Nant-y-Bedd; now in its eleventh year, is part of the National Garden Scheme and from 2019 also an RHS Partner. It contains unusual fruit trees and pergolas of heavily scented roses and an organic vegetable garden. It sits below a hazel copse, carpeted with bluebells and daffodils in Spring. A stream flows down through the garden.
The whole site, garden and woodland, is artfully contained and managed for biodiversity and sustainability. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Forest surrounds it; with its picturesque, old, timber forestry sheds still standing. This wider Forest contains broadleaved trees such as ash and beech, along with larch. The branches drip with lichen and the forest complements the garden and woodland area nestled below. NRW tracks lead away from the garden and take you up steeper mossy paths with views in to the surrounding canopy and gorges below – (for those keen to explore further, unguided).
Access, facilities and directions:
- N.B: Please download the directions on the garden website www.nantybedd.com before leaving home and put the name of the garden in to your Sat Nav if using one.
- Parking is available opposite the house by the wood sheds and is within easy walking distance to the woodland and river.
- A Beautiful tea room and toilet is within easy reach of the woodland and garden.
- There are a couple of steps up to the tea room but these can be avoided when the double garden doors are opened in the Summer.
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