Beeding Hill

The walk up Beeding Hill rewards you with proper views across the Sussex Weald - the kind of panorama that makes you understand why people have tramped these Downs for centuries. It's not a dramatic summit in the Alpine sense, but from the top you get a genuine sense of the landscape rolling away in all directions, with Henfield sitting down in the valley to the south.

The climb itself takes about half an hour from the car park, following chalk paths that can be muddy after rain. It's steep enough to feel like exercise without being punishing, and the path is well-trodden. On a clear day you can pick out distant ridges and the patchwork of fields and woodlands that make the Sussex countryside rather special. Walkers will find this a solid two-hour round trip if you include a proper look around at the top, though you can easily extend it by looping through nearby footpaths.

Families with older kids will manage it fine - younger ones might struggle with the gradient. It's best visited in autumn or spring when you're not cooking on the way up, and weekday mornings tend to be quieter than weekends.

If you're staying at Foot of the Downs or Downsview Park near Henfield, this makes a natural half-day outing. It's the sort of walk that justifies a holiday in this part of Sussex - nothing flashy, but genuinely pleasant. Worth the effort, honestly.