The Caburn

The walk up The Caburn from Newhaven is steep, proper steep, and you'll feel it in your legs well before you reach the top. But that's rather the point. This Iron Age hill fort sits 160 metres above the Sussex Weald, and the effort rewards you with views that stretch across the Downs in all directions - on a clear day you can see for miles.

It's not a manicured tourist attraction. There's no visitor centre, no gift shop, no facilities whatsoever. What you get is a grassy hilltop with the faint earthworks of an ancient settlement and a sense of standing where people stood two thousand years ago. The ramparts are still visible if you know where to look. Walkers will love it; families with young children might find the climb testing, though older kids who can manage a decent hike will get a kick out of the summit and the expansive views.

Allow a couple of hours from Newhaven for the round trip, depending on fitness. Go early on weekends to avoid the crowds - it's become increasingly popular. The approach is via Heighton Road, and it's free, naturally. Winter can be muddy underfoot, so proper boots are sensible.

If you're based at Three Ponds Holiday Park or The Secret Campsite nearby, it makes a cracking morning walk. Pair it with a ramble across the Downs proper, or head down to Newhaven itself afterward for lunch. The Caburn is the sort of place that makes you understand why people settle around here.