Broadbridge Mill Pond

The pond sits just outside Horsham, a proper water's edge where locals bring fishing rods and families trail along the bank looking for dragonflies. It's a working mill pond - the kind of place that's been here for centuries, doing the job it was always meant to do. The walk around is gentle, flat enough for pushchairs, and if you're staying at Sumners Ponds Fishery & Campsite nearby, you're only twenty minutes away by car. The water reflects the sky well on clear days, and there's something calming about watching it all just sit there.

You won't spend hours here unless you're keen on birdwatching or sketching, but as a stop-off during a broader Sussex trip it works fine. Walkers appreciate it as a pit stop between longer routes. Fishermen know it already. The real draw is slipping it into a day that includes other things - Knepp Wildland Safaris isn't far if you want to see big cats and zebras roaming English countryside, which is properly bonkers and worth doing. Broadbridge itself is free to visit, no entrance fees, just turn up. Best in late spring or early autumn when it's not boiling hot or waterlogged. Don't expect cafes or facilities - bring what you need.