Banstead Wood & Chipstead Downs Nature Reserve

The chalk grassland here is properly special - rare wildflowers bloom in late spring, and on a clear day you can see right across the Weald. Banstead Wood and Chipstead Downs is one of those places where Surrey's genuine wild side reveals itself, away from the commuter belt sprawl around Redhill.

It's essentially two nature reserves rolled into one: ancient woodland on one side, open downland on the other. The walking is straightforward enough - no scrambling, just footpaths that wind through beech and oak, then open out onto the grassland where you'll spot adders if you're lucky and orchids if you're luckier. Families with older kids (eight plus) will manage fine; younger ones might lose interest after ninety minutes unless they're proper nature spotters.

Historians get a kick from it too - this landscape has been grazed and managed for centuries, which is exactly why it's worth protecting. Spring is the time to come, when the bluebells do their thing. Summer gets warm and dry up on the downs. Autumn's pleasant enough, but muddy in the wood.

Free access, open year-round. Allow two to three hours if you're doing both bits properly. It works brilliantly alongside a stay at Alderstead Heath Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite, just 2.4 miles away - close enough for a morning ramble before breakfast. The bigger parks at Surrey Hills and Betchworth Fort are within easy striking distance too, making this a solid addition to a week exploring the North Downs.