Beckington Wood

The woodland around Beckington, just outside Heathfield, is proper Sussex - dense trees, decent walking paths, and enough space to actually lose the crowds. It's not a manicured forest with visitor centres and gift shops; this is the real thing. You get good shade under the canopy, which matters on sticky summer days, and the paths are well-trodden enough that you won't end up bushwhacking through nettles.

Walkers will find this genuinely worthwhile. The routes aren't punishing, but they're meaty enough to feel like you've actually been somewhere rather than pottering around for half an hour. Families with kids who can manage a couple of miles will get on fine - there's something satisfying about trees and mud for that age group. Bring decent boots though; Sussex clay sticks to everything.

If you're based at one of the nearby campsites - Horam Manor is closest at just over 2 miles away, or Dernwood Farm if you fancy glamping - Beckington Wood makes a solid morning or early afternoon walk before heading back for lunch. It's the sort of place that anchors a day outdoors without needing to be the main event. No entrance fee that we could find, no faffing about with opening times. You just turn up and walk.

The real selling point is that it feels genuinely quiet. Not many people know about it, and that's part of the appeal.