Air shaft

The Air Shaft near Newton Abbot is one of those sites you'd walk straight past if you didn't know what you were looking at. It's a rectangular stone opening in the ground - about the size of a small manhole - that connects to a vast network of lead and tin mines that riddled this part of Devon centuries ago. This particular shaft was sunk to ventilate the workings below, keeping miners from suffocating in the depths. Standing over it now, you're looking at genuine industrial archaeology from the 1800s.

History enthusiasts will find it quietly fascinating, though it's not a spectacle. There's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards, just the shaft itself and the landscape around it. You'll need to know roughly where to look - parking up near Newton Abbot and asking locals will point you in the right direction. The walk to reach it is pleasant enough, rolling countryside that doesn't demand proper hiking boots.

Unless you're genuinely interested in mining heritage or industrial archaeology, it's a bit of a detour for its own sake. Five minutes at the site and you're done. But combined with a broader exploration of Devon's mining past, or as a break during a longer walk, it works. If you're staying at Oakmoor Touring Park just 2.5 miles away, it's easily worth an hour out of your day. Don't expect facilities or entry fees - just go and have a look at what's there.