National Trust - Harting Down

The South Downs rise up proper steep here, and once you've made the climb from Chichester direction, the view across the Sussex and Hampshire border is the sort that makes you forget your aching calves. Harting Down is National Trust land - 349 acres of chalk grassland and woodland that feels genuinely wild despite being only a few miles from civilisation.

What you get is a proper walk, not a stroll. The downland itself is open and rolling, with narrow paths that wind through long grass and past the occasional clump of trees. The turf is springy underfoot, and on a clear day you can see for miles. It's the sort of place walkers genuinely love - no crowds, no visitor centre humming with people, just space and air and the occasional buzzard overhead.

This is absolutely one for the serious rambler or anyone who wants to properly test their legs. It's not a casual family afternoon - the walks here are genuine undertakings. Nor is it a cultural stop; there's no Iron Age fort or Roman site to explain things to you. What you're paying for with your boots is solitude and geography.

The nearest base would be Chichester, though the caravan sites at Bow Hill Farm and Adhurst Yurts - both with five-star ratings - sit closer by several miles. Allow three hours minimum if you're doing a proper circuit. Spring and early autumn are best; avoid midwinter when the chalk becomes a slippery nightmare. It's free to roam, which makes it cracking value.