Bow Hill

The walk up Bow Hill rewards you with proper views across the South Downs, and it's the kind of place where you can actually breathe once you reach the top. It's not dramatic or especially high - you're looking at around 250 metres - but the surrounding countryside rolls out in every direction, and on a clear day you get decent sightlines towards Chichester and beyond.

This is walker territory, frankly. The climb takes maybe 20-30 minutes depending on fitness and which route you pick, so families with younger kids might find it a bit much for what amounts to a modest viewpoint. Older children or teenagers keen on the Downs will get more from it. History buffs should know the area has Bronze Age connections, though there's not masses to see on the ground.

Access appears to be free - it's open land - and you can tackle it any time. Early morning or late afternoon light works best for photographs. Allow a good couple of hours if you want to sit about and soak it in, or an hour if you're just doing the climb and descent.

Stay at Bow Hill Farm CL just two miles away and you're perfectly placed for exploring this stretch of the Downs. Chichester Lakeside, five or so miles south, makes a solid base too if you want more facilities. The walks around here link up reasonably well, so you can string together a proper day rather than treating Bow Hill as a one-off stop.