Ashcombe Slip & Slide

The slipway at Ashcombe is one of those proper Devon coastal oddities that catches people off guard. It's a natural water slide carved into the red sandstone cliffs near Exeter, where the geology does most of the work for you - smooth rock face angled just enough to send you sliding down toward the beach below. The whole thing only takes a minute or two to actually do, which is worth knowing upfront.

Who gets the most from it? Families with kids old enough not to panic, and anyone after a quick bit of daredevil fun without the theme park queues. Teenagers love it. Adults less so, unless you've got a taste for mild embarrassment in front of strangers. The walk down is straightforward enough, though you'll want proper footwear and dry clothes to change into - the slip itself is best tackled on a warm day when the sun's had chance to heat the rock.

Timing-wise, twenty minutes covers the whole experience. Go in summer when the water's at its warmest and there's actual heat in the stone. Winter's a non-starter unless you fancy an unglamorous tumble on cold, wet rock.

It sits well within a coastal holiday circuit from any of the nearby parks - Lady's Mile, Golden Sands, or Dawlish Sands are all within a few miles. Not a day trip in itself, but a crackling ten-minute diversion if you're already exploring the coastline around Exeter. Don't expect grandeur. Expect fun, and you won't be disappointed.