Worms Wood

You'll find proper woodland walking just inland from Littlehampton at Worms Wood, a nature reserve that rewards you with quiet trails through mixed trees and surprisingly good birdwatching for a spot so close to the coast. It's the sort of place where you might spot woodpeckers, nuthatches, or if you're lucky, a sparrowhawk cutting through the canopy - nothing staged about it, just genuine Sussex woodland doing what it does.

The trails are straightforward enough for families with decent stamina, though muddy patches can catch you out after rain. You're looking at maybe 90 minutes if you take your time and actually look about, rather than just marching through. Go early on weekdays if you can - it's hardly heaving, but mornings are better for spotting wildlife when the birds are vocal.

What makes Worms Wood worth the trip from Littlehampton is its lack of fuss. No visitor centre, no gift shop, no staged "experience". Just woodland. Free access, as nature reserves should be. It fits neatly into a park holiday along this stretch - you're close enough to Butlins or South Downs Caravan Park that you could visit mid-holiday without eating up a whole day. If you're staying at Littlehampton Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite, you're barely ten minutes away.

Walkers and keen birders will get the most from it. Young children might find 90 minutes a stretch unless they're genuinely interested in spotting things. It's not spectacular, but that's rather the point.