Puddingham Wood

Getting lost in Puddingham Wood near Pevensey is rather the point. It's a proper Sussex woodland - the kind with tangled undergrowth, ancient oaks, and enough mud to test your boots. The paths wind through decent-sized trees without feeling manicured or crowded, which makes it a decent spot if you're after actual forest walking rather than a theme park version of nature.

Walkers will find this works best as a half-day venture, maybe ninety minutes depending on which route you take and how often you stop to poke about in the undergrowth. It's free to access and there's no visitor centre nonsense to navigate. Go in autumn or spring when the ground isn't churned to porridge and the light filters through properly.

Families with older kids will get on fine here - there's enough space to let them run ahead without losing sight of them entirely. Younger children might find it a bit relentless; it's genuinely just forest, no play equipment or facilities. Bring a packed lunch rather than expecting amenities.

If you're based at Warren Wood Country Park or one of the other local holiday parks, this sits nicely as a morning walk before heading down to Pevensey Bay. It won't take up your whole holiday but it fills the gap between breakfast and a decent lunch stop in town. The woodland does what it says on the tin - proper walking, nothing fancy.