Forest bathing at Friston Forest

Friston Forest is the largest area of recently planted forest in South East England, an expanse of beech woodland on the chalk downs between Seaford and Eastbourne. It sits inside the South Downs National Park, between Lullington Heath National Nature Reserve and Seven Sisters Country Park, and is part of the new Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve.

Most people start from the main Litlington Road car park between Exceat and Litlington, which has the only toilets. Butchershole car park on the Jevington road is the other Forestry England car park, with no toilets. Two waymarked walking trails leave from the car parks, and the wider tracks are shared with cyclists and riders, so step off onto the side paths if you want stillness. Beech gives deep shade in summer and copper colour in autumn.