Bayards Cove Fort

A squat Tudor fortress sits at the water's edge in Paignton, looking much as it did when Henry VIII's soldiers first manned its guns. Bayard's Cove Fort is one of those proper historic sites that rewards a proper look around - it's small enough to feel intimate, substantial enough to understand why it mattered. You're walking the actual ramparts where Tudor gunners would have stood guard against French raiders, and the views across Tor Bay make it clear why this particular stretch of coast needed defending.

The fort itself is free to wander, which is brilliant. Allow an hour if you're thorough, half that if you're just passing through. The real draw is the geography - standing here, you grasp the strategic thinking that went into the English coastline's defence four centuries ago. History types will spend time reading the information boards and mentally reconstructing the fort's working life. Families with younger children might find it brief, though clambering up the ramparts appeals to most kids.

If you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - South Bay or Beverley Holidays are both within spitting distance - this makes an easy morning stop before hitting Paignton's beaches or heading inland. It pairs well with Oldway Mansion if you're doing a cultural sweep of the area. Go when the light is good, ideally late afternoon when the fort's stonework photographs well. The coastal path passes right by, so walkers can make it part of a longer ramble.