Oatash Row Copse

The woodland around Oatash Row, just outside Pulborough, is proper Sussex countryside - the sort of place where you actually understand why people moved here centuries ago. It's not dramatic or showy. Just dense, quiet forest with a network of paths that wind through beech and oak, occasional clearings where light filters through to the woodland floor.

You won't find facilities or signage here. This is a walk-it-yourself kind of spot, free to access, the way most English woodland should be. Allow an hour or two depending on your mood and how lost you're willing to get. It suits walkers more than families with small children - the paths can be muddy and unmarked, and there's nothing to "do" in the amusement sense. Birdwatchers, though, will find it worth the detour. The quietness means you might actually hear something.

Timing-wise, spring and autumn are obvious choices when the light's better and you won't be wading through summer midges. Winter's fine if you don't mind damp boots.

If you're staying at Washington Caravan & Camping Park, it's barely over a mile away - straightforward enough for an afternoon walk. Knepp Wildland Safaris at 3.8 miles offers a different angle on Sussex wildlife if you want something more structured alongside the forest. The woodland itself is the kind of place that doesn't photograph well and doesn't Instagram, which means it's probably exactly what you need after a few days of more manicured attractions.