Leechpool and Owlbeech woods park

The woodland here is proper Sussex - ancient oak and beech stretching overhead, with the kind of damp earth underfoot that smells like autumn no matter what season you're actually in. Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods is a nature reserve that rewards slow walking rather than fast ticking-off, the sort of place where you might spot a sparrowhawk or hear a woodpecker before you see much else.

It's manageable terrain for families with decent boots, though the paths can get boggy after rain - the name gives it away really. Allow a good hour or two if you want to actually look at things rather than just marching through. Kids tend to either love the scrambling about and creek-hunting or get bored after twenty minutes, depending on their age and nature-curiosity quotient.

The reserve sits just outside Horsham, making it an easy add-on to a stay at one of the nearby campsites. Sands Farm and Raylands Country Park are both close by and highly rated, so you could easily combine a morning here with other local walks. It's free to access and the kind of place that costs nothing but gives back plenty if you're the sort who enjoys birdsong and getting a bit muddy.

Don't come expecting manicured trails or visitor centres. This is genuine woodland with genuine wildlife, which means sometimes there isn't much to see on the surface. But that's rather the point - it's a real place, not a tourist attraction pretending to be one.