Wildham Wood is situated just east of the beautiful village of Stoughton in spectacular West Sussex countryside. Although the area is popular with cyclists and walkers, the woods have a wonderfully isolated atmosphere. In May the forest floor is thick with wild garlic and bluebells creating one of nature’s most breath-taking scenes.

East Dean is a peaceful West Sussex village with pretty flint cottages surrounding a village duck pond and green. Our walk climbs through woodland, passing a surprising totem pole. Children will enjoy visiting the milkshake vending machine at a nearby dairy farm.

Angmering Park Estate is privately owned but a network of public footpaths and bridlepaths run across it, meaning the public can enjoy walking here too. Our walk circles Wepham Wood where the estate paths are really well maintained and there are plenty of bluebells in late April/early May.

When we arrived on a misty autumn morning, it was easy to see why some people consider these woods to be enchanted. The sight of an abandoned church hidden in the trees was definitely an eerie sight, but as the sun broke through the mist we discovered miles of quiet woodland that is perfect for peaceful family walks.

Just a stone’s throw from the town centre, Midhurst common is a delightful place to explore with plenty of paths through woodland and sandy heath. Three ponds are home to an abundance of fish and are accessed by silver sandy dunes.

It is easy to understand why royalty have been coming to Avington Park for centuries; the setting beside the Itchen is idyllic. This walk provides great views of the house, bridges over the river, a hilltop swing and Hampshire countryside at its finest.

Follow the gentle meanders of The River Arun around pretty Sussex villages with chalk escarpments, rolling farmland and downland ridges as a backdrop. Complete the walk with refreshments at the riverside pub or tearooms or a visit to Amberley musuem.

What better way to climb the hill up to Selborne Common than via the zig-zag path that naturalist Gilbert White cut into the hillside over 200 years ago? Once you have enjoyed the views from above, make your way back down the beech hanger and enjoy refreshments from the pub at the bottom.

Alice Holt Forest is an extremely popular location for a variety of outdoor pursuits from high ropes courses to mountain biking. For the littlest explorers, there are multiple woodland play areas and Forestry England regularly host trails here based around Julia Donaldson stories. New for 2023 is a Zog trail which is detailed in this guide.