Salterns Copse

The woodland around Salterns Copse, just outside Chichester, is the sort of place you stumble into rather than plan for. It's proper forest - dense enough that the car park feels properly remote even though you're minutes from town. The paths wind through beech and oak, muddy in winter, dappled and cool in summer.

You're looking at maybe 45 minutes to an hour here, depending on how far you push into the trees. There's no visitor centre, no café, no facilities beyond the basic car park. It's just woodland, which is exactly why it works. Walkers and dog owners get the most from it - the paths are straightforward enough that you won't get properly lost, but rambling enough that you feel like you've actually been somewhere.

Kids will manage an hour before asking when we're going home, unless they're the type who love climbing fallen logs and spotting birds. The ground can be boggy in patches, so proper boots matter more than you'd think.

It slots nicely into a park-based holiday around here. Creative Camping and Stubcroft Farm are both within striking distance if you're after somewhere quiet to base yourselves. Pop out for an hour's walk, back for lunch. Chichester Lakeside and Haven Church Farm offer more amenities if you've got younger children who'll need proper facilities.

Free to access, no official opening hours that I could find - it's one of those places you visit off your own bat. Early morning is lovely when the light filters through properly.