Market Wood

A proper woodland walk rather than a manicured attraction, Market Wood sits just inland from Hastings and delivers exactly what you'd want from a Sussex forest - tall trees, decent paths, and genuine quiet. The woodland floor is soft underfoot most of the year, with light filtering through the canopy enough to keep things feeling open rather than claustrophobic.

There's no visitor centre, no facilities to speak of, and that's rather the point. This is the kind of place you come to walk for an hour or two, spot birds if you're lucky, and remember why you bothered leaving the coast. The paths are well-trodden enough not to require map-reading, though a quick scout on your phone beforehand wouldn't go amiss.

Families with young kids might find it a touch dull unless they're the sort who enjoy mud and tree identification. Walkers and anyone after a bit of fresh air between beach days will get real value here. It's free, naturally, and works brilliantly as a morning expedition before heading back to one of the local holiday parks for lunch.

Winchelsea Sands is only three miles away, making Market Wood an ideal leg-stretch on a park holiday. Even Rye Harbour, rated higher but slightly further out, benefits from having this woodland option nearby when the weather's too good to spend all day by a caravan. The wood doesn't demand more than ninety minutes of your time, but it clears your head properly.