Darvel Wood

The woods around Darvel feel different from the manicured country estates that dot Sussex. There's something wilder about them - proper woodland with beech and oak crowding in on narrow paths, the kind of place where you lose track of time within minutes of leaving Lewes behind.

It's a solid walk rather than a spectacle. The terrain rolls gently, nothing that'll have you gasping, but enough variation to keep your legs engaged for a couple of hours. The paths thread through dense canopy in winter, which means fewer other walkers but also a fair bit of gloom if you're after proper views. Spring transforms it though - bluebells carpet the forest floor and suddenly everyone remembers why they bothered leaving the car park.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not a destination on its own - no waterfall, no viewpoint, no Norman ruin waiting at the end. What you get instead is the quiet satisfaction of a proper woodland ramble, the kind where you might spot deer if you're patient, or at least enjoy the smell of leaf litter and wet earth.

Staying at The Secret Campsite or Wild Boar Wood, both rated brilliantly and within striking distance, gives you reason to spend a morning or afternoon here without making it the whole trip. Park your van, walk for an hour or two, be back for lunch. That's the honest pitch. It works best if you actually like woods - if you're after dramatic scenery or family attractions, look elsewhere.