Hanging Bank

A steep woodland walk through beech and oak takes you down to Hanging Bank, a dramatic forested ravine just outside Edenbridge that feels properly remote despite being minutes from the town. The trees cling to almost vertical banks either side of a narrow valley floor - it's the kind of place that makes you understand why the Weald was once impenetrable forest.

The walk itself is the main event. It's not long, but it's steep enough to get your legs working, and the path can be slippery after rain. You're looking at maybe 45 minutes to an hour including time to stand about catching your breath. The ravine walls create their own microclimate - darker, damper, far cooler than the fields above. Ferns grow thick in winter, and the whole thing has a rather Gothic feel to it.

This is proper walking country rather than a tourist attraction with facilities. No visitor centre, no refreshments, no information boards. Bring decent boots and a map. It works brilliantly as part of a wider ramble through the High Weald - the landscape here connects naturally into longer woodland routes that loop through nearby villages.

Families with older kids who actually enjoy walking will get plenty from it. Little ones might find it a bit of a slog down and then the hard slog back up again. Photographers keen on woodland light and texture, and anyone interested in how the landscape was shaped by geology, will find it rewarding. It's free, naturally.