Countryside

The Wilmington Giant, or Long Man, is a 235 foot high figure of a man marked out on the side of Windover Hill, just south of the Sussex village of Wilmington. No one knows who he is meant to represent, or how long he’s been there. The earliest reference is as recent as 1710, but many believe he is much older than that. In 1874, he was outlined in yellow bricks, replaced by concrete blocks in 1969 that are periodically painted white. During the Second World War, the bricks were coloured green so that enemy bombers were unable to use the Long Man as a landmark. Some folk swear he’s an ancient fertility symbol, or a representation of an ancient war-god. His head, apparently, was once shaped as though wearing a war helmet. Or is he a gigantic hoax?

Wilmington's Long Man lacks some of the anatomical features enjoyed by his close relative, the Cerne Abbas Giant (though some believe the Victorians robbed him of it), but that doesn’t mean he’s not worth a brief visit if you happen to be passing. There are public footpaths if you want to get up close and personal – he’s not far from the South Downs Way. Or he can be seen from a minor road between the A27 and the A259, or a public car park just south of Wilmington Priory.

Post code is approximate. Managed by Sussex Archaeological Society.

The New Forest offers chocolate-box scenery - 220 square miles of open heath and woodland where ponies, cattle and pigs roam freely, punctuated by the occasional attractive town and village. It's an ancient royal hunting forest, created in the 11th century by William the Conqueror - his 'Nova Foresta' - at the expense of its inhabitants.  These days, it's a place for walking, cycling, horse riding - or just relaxing.

Hampshire’s New Forest covers an area of 220 square miles (570 square kilometres) and the National Park was established 2005.  The highest point is Telegraph Hill at just under 460 feet (140 metres).

There is nothing harsh about the New Forest; it is, simply, lovely.  Attractive towns, chocolate-box villages and a maritime heritage add to the mix.  The National Motor Museum is at Beaulieu and there’s a particularly lovely garden at Exbury.

The New Forest is adjacent to some of the most populous parts of the south coast of England, such as Southampton and Bournmouth.  Principal settlements within the New Forest are Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst.

Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age burial barrows lie on the top of Old Winchester Hill, itself the site of a later Iron Age hillfort settlement.  The barrows are about 3800 years old and. Covered in heaped chalk, would have been quite outstanding in their day.  There are four inside the fort, seven outside the west gate and possibly three more incorporated into the southern rampart.  The hillfort was built about 2500 years ago, a univallate fort with a single, very steep, ditch and embankment, entrances on the east and west, and roundhouses and stores inside with a wooden palisade around the whole.  The views are magnificent – this was a perfect location for a hillfort. On a clear day, the Isle of Wight can be seen.

Old Winchester Hill is also a 150-acre national reserve, home to many species of plants and wildlife.  Spot the small yew wood – great for hide and seek.

The Peak District National Park was Britain’s first, in 1951.  It sits surrounded by major conurbations, broadly between Manchester and Sheffield, mainly in Derbyshire, but also partly in Staffordshire, Cheshire and South and West Yorkshire.  The Park covers an area of 555 square miles (1437 square kilometres) and the highest point is Kinder Scout in the north of the region at 2087 feet (636 metres).

The development of national parks has often seen conflict between landowners and the public.  Kinder was the scene of a mass trespass undertaken by ramblers in 1932, to raise awareness of the fact that the public was denied access to open country.  Some believe this act of civil disobedience, which amazingly resulted in some arrests, was instrumental in producing national parks legislation in 1949.

The Peak District is a park of two halves.  In the north, the ‘Dark Peak’ is characterised by millstone grit pokes through areas of moorland, whereas the central and southern areas, known as ‘White Peak’ are largely limestone country.  Neolithic man was here and the Romans used to export lead mined from the limestone areas, and admire the unique semi-precious Blue John stone found near Castleton.

Like most of Britain’s national parks, the Peak district is favoured by walkers, climbers, campers, cyclists – and so on. Beneath the ground, cavers enjoy exploring the natural caverns and old mine workings.

Villages in the Peak District are renowned for the tradition of well dressing in spring and summer.

The principal settlements within the National Park are Bakewell and Tideswell, though Buxton, just outside the park authority, is an important town, famed for its spring water since Roman times.

If you're looking for 100 Acre Wood, Poohsticks Bridge, the Enchanted Place - and all the other spots associated with Winnie-the-Pooh, you'll find them all in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. Unless you know where you're going, probably the best place to start is the House at Pooh Corner, a shop and cafe (Piglet's Cafe), specialising in all things Pooh. You could even try to trap a Heffalump.