Southwater Country Park

The lake at Southwater is the real draw here - a proper splash of water in the Sussex countryside just outside Horsham. You can walk all the way round the perimeter, which takes a decent couple of hours if you're not in a rush, or knock it out in 45 minutes if you're just after the exercise. The path is flat and well-maintained, which means it works brilliantly for families with pushchairs or anyone who finds hills a bore.

There's a visitor centre near the main car park (free entry, as far as I could tell) where you can pick up information about what lives here - plenty of water birds, the occasional heron if you're lucky and quiet enough. The lake itself was created as a reservoir back in the 1980s, but it's aged into the landscape rather nicely now. Fishermen turn up regularly, and the banks attract birdwatchers year-round.

Go in spring or early autumn if you can. Summer weekends get rammed with families doing exactly what you're doing, and winter can be a bit bleak round the water's edge. The whole thing takes maybe three hours maximum if you include a wander round the visitor centre, which means it's a solid half-day activity rather than an all-day commitment.

If you're staying at one of the nearby camps - Raylands is virtually on the doorstep, while Goweco Glamping and Honeybridge Park are within four miles - Southwater makes an easy morning or afternoon. It won't blow your mind, but it's reliable, accessible, and genuinely pleasant. Worth fitting in between other Sussex attractions rather than making a special trip.