Southwick Hill

Southwick Hill rises up from the Sussex Downs like a proper landmark - the kind of place you spot from miles around and immediately want to climb. It's nothing extreme, mind you. This modest peak above Henfield gives you straightforward walking terrain and views that stretch across the Weald when the weather cooperates.

The ascent takes about 20 minutes from the nearest road, depending on your fitness and which path you take. The summit itself is fairly open, which means you're not fighting through dense woodland to reach it. On a clear day you get genuine views across the countryside - nothing that'll make postcards, but the sort of sight that makes the walk feel worthwhile. Walkers benefit most here; families with young kids might find it a bit underwhelming as a destination in itself, though it works nicely as part of a longer ramble.

Camp at Foot of the Downs or Downsview Park and you're barely a mile away, which makes this an easy morning or afternoon outing without needing to pack a full day's provisions. There's no visitor facility, no admission fee, no nonsense - just a hill and the Downs. Free access and genuinely peaceful, especially midweek. Winter offers clearer sightlines, but autumn's proper lovely up here when the light's low and the trees start turning. Allow an hour and a half if you want to add a decent walk either side of the summit.