Avon Dam Reservoir

The dam itself is the draw here - a proper solid piece of Victorian engineering that holds back a vast stretch of water in the middle of moorland. You can walk right across the top of it, which takes about ten minutes, and the views across the reservoir are genuinely impressive, especially when the wind kicks up and you get that sense of scale. The surrounding moorland rolls away in all directions, soft and empty.

It's the kind of place that appeals most to walkers tackling the bigger routes across Dartmoor and Bodmin, rather than people looking to park up for the afternoon. The water itself is off-limits for swimming or messing about - it's a drinking water source - so you're really here for the walk and the landscape. That said, it's worth the detour if you're anywhere near South Brent.

Allow an hour or so if you're combining it with a longer moorland walk. The paths are straightforward and the weather can turn quickly, so check conditions before you head out. If you're staying at Ashbourne Woods, the reservoir makes a logical morning or afternoon excursion - it's barely four miles away and breaks up a holiday nicely without requiring serious hiking boots or a packed lunch.

Free to visit, obviously. The real appeal is the emptiness of the moor and that particular quality of light you get when you're standing high up with nothing but heather and sky around you. Not Instagram-famous, which is precisely why it's worth going.