Graffham Down Barrows

The South Downs Way passes right through here, and on a clear day the views from Graffham Down Barrows stretch across the Weald like someone's pulled back a curtain. You're standing on Bronze Age burial mounds - proper ancient stuff - with nothing between you and the horizon but fields rolling away in waves. Most people come by foot from Petworth way, though the car park isn't far if you want to skip the walk entirely.

It's one of those spots where the history sits lightly on the landscape. The barrows themselves aren't dramatic - more like gentle bumps in the chalk downland - but that's rather the point. They've been here for three thousand years without needing to shout about it. The views are the real draw: Sussex countryside at its most honest, without the crowds you'd get at Ditchling Beacon or Devil's Dyke.

Walkers will love this. The South Downs Way is well-marked and genuinely pleasant, and Graffham makes a natural stopping point rather than a destination in itself. History buffs will find it interesting enough for twenty minutes, though there's nothing on-site explaining what you're actually looking at. Kids might get restless unless they're the type who enjoy rambling.

If you're based at Graffham Camping and Caravanning Club Site - just down the road at 2.1 miles - this is basically your backyard. It's free, accessible year-round, and rarely rammed. Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light and the fewest people.