Chinkwell Tor

The walk up to Chinkwell Tor rewards you with views that stretch right across Dartmoor, and on a clear day you can pick out Exeter in the distance. It's a proper scramble to the top - nothing technical, but your thighs will know about it. The tor itself is distinctive granite, the kind of craggy outcrop that makes you understand why people have been drawn to Dartmoor for centuries.

The approach takes roughly an hour from the nearest parking, depending on your fitness and how many times you stop to catch your breath. Walkers will absolutely get the most out of this one - it's not a casual stroll, but it's not mountaineering either. Families with older kids do fine, though younger ones might find the steep sections a bit much.

There's no visitor infrastructure up here, which is both the point and the slight catch. You'll need proper boots, water, and decent weather - moorland fog rolls in fast and visibility drops to nothing. Go early in the day if you can, especially in summer, though honestly the quietest visits happen outside school holidays.

Combine it with a broader Dartmoor National Park exploration based from Exeter - the tor sits nicely within the park boundary, just 5.6 miles in. You're looking at a half-day activity really, not an all-dayer, so pair it with exploring one of the river valleys or a visit to Widecombe-in-the-Moor if the weather turns soft.