Duncton Common

Walking into Duncton Common feels like stepping back a couple of centuries. This sprawling Sussex woodland, just outside Petworth, is one of those places that rewards you for getting off the main track - literally. The forest floor is thick with leaf litter, the canopy dense enough to make you forget it's summer, and the whole thing has a satisfying wildness to it that the South East doesn't often deliver.

It's proper walker territory. The paths wind through mixed woodland with decent elevation changes, so it's not a gentle stroll for young children, but anyone aged eight upwards with reasonable fitness will find it engaging. The trees are genuinely old - oak and beech mostly - and in autumn the colour is outstanding. Bring decent boots rather than trainers; the ground gets muddy and rutted, especially after rain.

There's no visitor centre or facilities, which is part of the appeal. It's free to access and you can spend anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours depending on how thorough you want to be. If you're camping at nearby Woodfire at Westerlands or Graffham, this is an excellent morning or afternoon out without driving far. The Camping and Caravanning Club site is particularly close at under a mile away.

Worth noting: the common can feel isolated, so go with company and let someone know your route. Summer midges can be a minor plague. But if you want genuine woodland without the manicured car park experience, Duncton delivers. Real Sussex forest, the way it used to be.