Darwell Reservoir

The water at Darwell stretches out calm and wide, ringed by dense woodland that makes you forget you're only a couple of miles from Battle's medieval high street. This is a proper reservoir - built to supply water to the area back in the 1950s - but it's become something altogether nicer: a place where walkers actually want to be, not just pass through.

The main draw is the circular path around the water's edge. It's roughly three miles if you do the full loop, taking you past reed beds where you might spot kingfishers, and through sections of woodland where the light filters through in that golden way that makes photographers unnecessarily enthusiastic. The walking is gentle - nothing steep - and the views back across the water are genuinely worth stopping for, especially if you time it for late afternoon sun.

It's superb for families. Kids won't get bored because there's actual wildlife to spot rather than yet another manicured park, and the flat terrain means even younger walkers can manage chunks of it without complaint. Birdwatchers come here seriously - bring binoculars if that's your thing. The free access and car park make it an easy add-on to a stay at Beech Estate Campsite just down the road.

The only caveat: there's not much in the way of facilities. No cafe, no ice cream van. Come prepared with what you need. Go on a weekday if you can - weekends pull proper crowds from nearby towns. Summer's busy, but autumn here is genuinely lovely, with the light changing and fewer people about.