Hundred Acres Camping Field

If you find yourself making your way towards the coast, make a point of stopping off in the pretty port town of Emsworth (20 minutes' drive), where a well-preserved centre with a square, mill pond and marina make for a most pleasant day out. If you're feeling energetic, you could also make it the start and end point of a nine-mile circular walk around Thorney Island, a little-known nature reserve. Heading east from base, you'll reach West Dean Gardens (15 minutes), a botanical site that may well be the horticultural highlight of your trip. Once you've sauntered around the pergola, walled garden and Victorian glasshouses it's onwards to Goodwood Racecourse (20 minutes), where all manner of fixtures are held throughout the year. If big-city lights are calling, set off for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (35 minutes), an open-air museum with three exceptional ships on display (including Tudor flagship The Mary Rose). You might also like to bring your binoculars and set sail on a 40-minute harbour tour to take in a wider range of vessels.