Blackpatch Hill

The South Downs near Patching throws up some proper walking territory, and Blackpatch Hill is one of those peaks that rewards you without demanding a full day's commitment. It's not dramatic - Sussex hills rarely are - but the views across the weald are genuinely good, especially on a clear morning when you can pick out the patchwork of fields stretching inland.

Getting up here takes maybe thirty minutes from the nearest car park, so it's manageable for families with older kids or anyone after a solid leg-stretch without the slog. The walk itself follows decent paths through open downland, and you'll likely have the place to yourself outside weekends. Once you're up there, the sense of perspective is rather nice - you can see why people bothered to live out here centuries ago.

If you're basing yourself at Fox Wood Campsite or Washington Caravan & Camping Park, both within a couple of miles, Blackpatch slots nicely into a morning's wandering before lunch. It works particularly well for walkers tackling longer stretches of the South Downs Way, giving you a genuine milestone rather than just trudging between villages.

The real value here is that it's unpretentious. No visitor centre, no entrance fee nonsense, just a hill and a walk. Go on a weekday if you can - you'll have the downland essentially to yourself, which in Sussex is increasingly rare.