Butts Brow

The walk up to Butts Brow from Pevensey feels proper rewarding, especially on a clear day when you can clock the whole Sussex coast stretching out below. It's a modest hill by most standards, but that's exactly what makes it work - there's enough elevation to feel like you've actually achieved something without the huffing and puffing taking the shine off the views.

Once you're up there, the landscape opens out across the Pevensey Levels towards the sea. You'll spot Pevensey Castle off to the side if you know where to look, and on a decent day the views reach right across to Dungeness. The brow itself is popular with walkers tackling the longer routes through the area, and you'll often find locals who've been coming here for years.

It's free, obviously - it's just land. Depending on how leisurely you take it, allow an hour round trip from Pevensey town itself, though fit walkers might do it in half that. The approach path can get muddy in winter, so pick your moment. If you're staying at Warren Wood Country Park or Pevensey Bay Holiday Park, this sits nicely on a day's itinerary - close enough for a morning or afternoon sortie without eating into a full day's plans.

History buffs will appreciate how the Norman castle sits just down there. It's not a destination that'll consume your afternoon, but it's the kind of walk that reminds you why people bother with Sussex in the first place.