Lake Wood - Woodland Trust

You'll need your wellies for this one. Lake Wood is a proper woodland walk near Lewes where the Woodland Trust has done the hard graft maintaining paths through beech and oak - the sort of place where you can actually see what you're doing underfoot, even after rain.

The lake itself is the draw. It sits quiet among the trees, good for spotting waterfowl if you're patient enough to stop and look. The walk loops around it nicely without being a slog, and the woodland floor is thick enough that you won't hear the A road in the distance. Most people spend an hour here, maybe ninety minutes if they're the dawdling type.

Families with kids aged six and up will get something out of it - there's enough scrambling about on paths and spotting things to keep them entertained. Serious hikers might find it a bit tame, but if you're after a genuine woods day out without needing a map degree, it works. The Woodland Trust keeps these places accessible without overdoing the facilities, which is refreshing.

If you're camped at The Secret Campsite or Wild Boar Wood - both excellent bases just a few miles away - Lake Wood makes a cracking half-day addition to your trip. Combine it with a morning in Lewes itself and you've got a proper day sorted. There's no admission charge, which helps when you're trying to stretch a holiday budget. Early morning visits are quieter, and the light through the trees is actually worth getting up for.