Loover Shaw

Walk into Loover Shaw and you're straight into proper Sussex woodland - the kind of place where the paths actually feel like someone's been maintaining them, which makes a refreshing change. It's a forest block just outside Newhaven, quiet enough that you'll hear the birds properly, dense enough that it feels genuinely removed from the coast hubbub.

The main draw here is straightforward: wooded walks through mixed trees, plenty of space to stretch your legs without the crowds you'd get at bigger nature reserves. It's the sort of place where families with primary-school-aged kids will manage a solid hour or two, though toddlers might find the uneven ground frustrating. Dog walkers absolutely love it - there's room to let them properly off the lead without feeling bad about it.

Time-wise, allow a couple of hours if you're not in a rush. The trails aren't marked with the sort of precision you'd get at a country estate, so check conditions before heading in during winter - it can turn boggy. There's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so bring what you need.

If you're based at Three Ponds Holiday Park or The Secret Campsite, Loover Shaw works well as a morning outing before you head to the coast. It's close enough to Newhaven that you could easily combine it with a walk down to the cliffs. Not dramatic or particularly famous, but it does what a local wood should - gives you somewhere decent to walk without fuss.