Cairn Circle

The stones stand in a rough circle on the high moor, weathered grey and looking every bit their age. Cairn Circle sits on Devon's wild uplands near Okehampton, and it's the kind of place where Bronze Age people gathered thousands of years ago - though exactly what for remains debated by archaeologists. You get Bronze Age burial mounds and standing stones, scattered across a landscape that hasn't changed much since then.

There's no visitor centre, no café, no interpretive panels. Just you, the stones, and the moorland stretching away on all sides. It's elemental stuff, and history buffs will find it genuinely affecting. Families with young children might manage an hour, though the walk out isn't trivial and there's zero shelter. Serious walkers will love threading this into a longer Dartmoor route.

It's free, naturally. Allow a good hour round trip from the car park depending on fitness and how long you linger. Go on a clear day - the wind and mist up here can turn it bleak fast. Winter's dramatic; summer's more forgiving for families.

Neither Lydford Caravan & Camping Park nor Wolf Wood Treehouses are far away, making Cairn Circle a logical addition to a park-based Dartmoor holiday. It's not headline-grabbing - you won't find Instagram crowds - but that's rather the point. Real Bronze Age archaeology, minus the modern theatre.