Maplehurst Farm

Cavorting through the gorgeous local countryside will be high on the list of most coming here. Maplehurst Farm is a few minutes' walk or cycle from the Downs Link, a splendid long-distance and largely car-free route that follows a disused railway line from Surrey all the way down to the Sussex coast. Newbies should head to West Grinstead (10 minutes' drive) to get their bearings at the trail’s community-run visitor centre. Kid-centric jaunts aren't in short supply around here either – between beach trips to Brighton and Worthing (both 35 minutes), treetop climbs at Go Ape Crawley (25 minutes) and the rides and slides at Fisher's Farm Park (20 minutes), you can be pretty sure that there'll be something to amuse your brood. Deer will likely be just one of the animals you spot in these rural surrounds, especially if you head out to Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve (25 minutes), a place renowned for its birdlife. Guaranteed close-up encounters with feathered flyers can also be sorted at Huxley's Birds of Prey (15 minutes). When around Horsham, make sure to stop off and say hi to the cows at Chesworth Farm (15 minutes from site).