Ashlee Wood

The woodland around Ashlee Wood near Arundel is proper Sussex - dense, quiet, and the sort of place where you actually hear yourself thinking. It's mixed forest, mostly beech and oak, with paths that wind through the canopy and emerge into small clearings where the light gets strange and golden. You won't find visitor facilities or marked trails, which is either brilliant or annoying depending on your mood.

Walkers come here. Not the Instagram sort - the actual sort who want to move their legs and get lost in something green for a couple of hours. The terrain is manageable, uneven in places but nothing that'll wreck your knees, and you can easily spend an afternoon nosing around without bumping into crowds. There's a real sense of discovery to it, and the woods feel less managed than some of the bigger estates. In autumn it's worth the trip just for the floor of leaves.

It's free and you can turn up whenever suits you. Allow a couple of hours minimum if you want more than a quick walk, longer if you're the type to stop and look at things. The nearest proper stop is Arundel itself - a medieval town with an actual castle - so you can string together a decent day if you're staying nearby. Ryebank Corner Glamping is within reasonable distance if you want to base yourself in the area. Honest assessment: it's not a destination in itself, but as part of a Sussex woodland wander, it does the job well.