Newbarn Hill

The walk up Newbarn Hill takes about twenty minutes from the car park near Hailsham, and it's proper rewarding when you get to the top. Nothing dramatic, mind you - Sussex doesn't do Alpine theatre - but the views across the Weald stretch out flat and far, with fields rolling away toward Kent. On a clear day you can see for miles. The summit itself is bare and windy, which sounds worse than it is. Locals come here regularly, and you'll understand why once you're standing up there with the whole landscape spread beneath you.

It's ideal for a morning walk if you're staying at Three Ponds Holiday Park, just six miles south. The route isn't strenuous enough to deter families with older kids, though toddlers might find the trudge a bit much. Give yourself an hour there and back, maybe longer if you want to sit about at the top with a flask.

The real value here is getting out of the car and moving your legs without the tourist crowds you'd find at Beachy Head or Brighton. There's no café, no gift shop, no nonsense - just a hill and a view. That's exactly the point. Free access, naturally, and it works brilliantly as a leg-stretcher between other plans. Don't expect drama. Do expect genuine Sussex air and the kind of quiet that feels increasingly rare.