Wealden

Wealden is best known for Ashdown Forest, the great stretch of heath and woodland that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh and still gives this corner of East Sussex its wild, open character. Beyond the forest, the district rolls out across the High Weald, a landscape of small fields, oak woods, and sunken lanes linking villages built from tile-hung cottages and weatherboarded barns.

Most visitors base themselves in one of the self-catering cottages scattered through the district's villages and farmland rather than in a single town centre, which suits a district built for walking, cycling, and slow exploring. Properties range from traditional homes like Ash Cottage, Beech Cottage, and Birch Cottage to converted farm buildings such as Boreham Bridge Barn, with something more unusual at Bensfield Treehouse for those after a night up among the trees.

Days here tend to be shaped by the outdoors. Ashdown Forest offers miles of walking and riding across heath and pine, while the wider Weald is threaded with footpaths connecting villages and farms. Beachy Barn's name is a reminder of how close this part of Sussex sits to the coast and its chalk cliffs, making a day trip to the sea an easy addition to a countryside stay.

The villages themselves are worth lingering in, with pubs and tearooms tucked into high streets that have changed little in character even as they've been well kept. Cottages like Bohemia Cottage and Brooke's Cottage put you within easy reach of these local spots, where a walk can be broken up with a proper pub lunch or a cream tea before heading back out.