Brickfield Copse

Walk into Brickfield Copse and you're immediately under a proper canopy of ancient oak and beech. It's the sort of Sussex woodland that feels like it's been here forever - which it largely has. The forest floor is soft underfoot, thick with leaf litter, and in spring the bluebells put on a show worth timing your visit around.

This isn't a manicured attraction with visitor centres or waymarked loops. It's genuine woodland, and that's precisely what makes it work. You can wander for an hour or three depending on mood and energy levels. History enthusiasts will appreciate the old earthworks scattered through the trees - remnants of medieval land use - though they're subtle enough that you need to know what you're looking for.

Families with older kids who enjoy a bit of woodland exploration will get more from it than those expecting playgrounds or facilities. Walkers heading out from Petworth will find this a proper alternative to the more trodden paths around the town. There's something honest about it - no admission charges, no infrastructure, just trees and space.

If you're camping at Old Farm Slindon nearby, it's worth a morning poke about, though don't expect dramatic vistas or sudden reveals. Come for the quiet and the smell of damp earth. Come because you like woods. That's the whole point, really.