The Barn Caravan Park

Beaches, beaches, beaches… the nearest beach, South Lancing, is within a short walk, with the beaches of Worthing and Shoreham-by-Sea each two miles’ walk from here. Or head west along the coast to the flumes of Littlehampton’s Harbour Park or to the bountiful resort of Bognor Regis, officially declared Britain’s sunniest seaside resort in 2011. Going east? Brighton probably doesn’t need an introduction, but if you’re looking for recommendations on what to do there, George IV’s Royal Pavilion, Sea Life Brighton or shopping/eating out around The Lanes are good places to start.

The town of Lancing is less than a mile away from The Barn with a nature reserve, Lancing Ring, to its north and restaurants and shops at which to fill your boots and empty your wallet. Worthing is also well worth a look as one of the biggest towns in the area – and the former home of Oscar Wilde and Harold Pinter for those who like their literature. There are a couple of hundred listed buildings in the town to make your way around as well as the biggest museum in West Sussex, an undercover shopping centre and, er, a haunted oak tree. Worthing is also the venue of the annual International Birdman event, where optimists attempt to fly off the end of the pier in the oldest Birdman event in the world.

Along the coast to the west there’s cracking Chichester with its Norman cathedral, festivals and shops; Fishbourne Roman Palace, the biggest Roman home in Britain, is just outside the city. Portsmouth is around an hour’s drive away for days’ worth of activities and attractions like the award-winning aquarium or a trip around Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to see old ships including the Mary Rose; for a true day trip, hop on the ferry to the Isle of Wight or France.

Going inland, nature lovers, sightseers and adrenaline seekers will find heaps of things to do: the market town of Horsham and its birds of prey centre; horse-riding, hiking and historical artefacts in the South Downs National Park; the RSPB reserve of Pulborough Brooks and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust wildlife haven Arundel overlooked by Arundel Castle.

Sprogs have plenty of choice too: take them along to West Sussex’s farm parks and play centres, to Chichester for mountain boarding (not biking) or for a puff on the South Downs Light Railway.