Manor Gardens

The gardens sprawl across a decent chunk of land just outside Bexhill-on-Sea, and they're genuinely worth a morning's potter if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks. It's a nature reserve that takes itself seriously - proper woodland paths, open meadow areas, and enough birdwatching potential to keep twitchers happy for hours. The walking is gentle, nothing that'll knacker you out, and there's real variety in the terrain which stops it feeling samey.

What you actually get is a mix of cultivated gardens and wilder spaces left to do their thing. In spring the bulbs are cracking, and summer brings butterflies and bees thick enough that you feel like you're somewhere genuinely wild, not just a manicured park. The paths are well-maintained but it never feels sterile. Families with young children will do fine here - there's room to wander and enough open space that kids won't get bored if they need to run about.

Based on distance alone, it works brilliantly as a half-day outing from Park Holidays UK or Combe Haven, both sitting less than three miles away. Beech Estate Campsite is slightly further but has the best ratings of the lot if you're planning a longer stay. Allow two to three hours minimum to actually see the place without rushing. The real appeal is how it gives you proper nature without needing to trek miles - perfect if the weather's decent but you can't face a full-day expedition.