Happy Valley Park

The valley floor opens up suddenly as you round the bend from Brighton - all downland slopes and open grassland that feels properly away from the city despite being minutes from the seafront. Happy Valley Park is one of those reserves that creeps up on you; there's no grand entrance or visitor centre, just gently rolling terrain where the South Downs meet the urban sprawl.

What you're actually doing here is walking. The paths thread through chalk grassland that's genuinely worth protecting - this is rare habitat now, full of orchids in early summer and buzzing with insects. It's not dramatic landscape. It won't take your breath away like Seven Sisters or Beachy Head. But that's rather the point. Families with younger legs get something manageable within easy reach of Brighton's cafes and seafront, while walkers after a proper hike can link it with the broader Downs network.

The reserve works best if you're already staying nearby - perhaps at Three Ponds Holiday Park five miles out - and need a morning's walk that won't exhaust everyone. Give it ninety minutes if you're thorough; an hour if you're just sussing it out. Spring through early autumn is when it properly earns its keep, when the wildflowers are doing their thing and the open slopes don't feel quite so exposed.

It's free, as these things usually are, and you can turn up whenever. Not a destination in itself, but a rather solid addition to a South Coast break.