Tilton Wood

A thick canopy of oak and beech swallows you up the moment you step into Tilton Wood. This is proper woodland - the sort where light comes through in dusty shafts and the ground squelches underfoot most of the year. It sits just outside Newhaven, making it an easy detour if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks like Warren Wood Country Park or Golden Cross.

There's no visitor centre or café here, which is either refreshing or disappointing depending on your outlook. The wood itself is the point - you walk in, follow whatever path appeals, and listen to the birds. Families with younger kids might manage half an hour before restlessness kicks in; proper walkers will happily spend an afternoon threading through here. The paths are muddy in winter and surprisingly dry come summer.

It's the sort of place you go to because you're already in the area, not because you make a special trip. But that's its charm. If you're based at Hale Farm Campsite nearby and the weather turns, you can still get out for a proper walk without having to venture far. Bring decent boots and don't expect facilities - you're on your own out here. For Sussex woodland that hasn't been turned into a visitor attraction, it's worth knowing about.