Clarke's Wood

Walk into Clarke's Wood near Tiverton and you're immediately surrounded by proper old-growth woodland - the kind where light filters through in dusty columns and the air feels several degrees cooler than outside. It's a genuine forest, not a manicured park, with decent paths threading through beech and oak that clearly aren't going anywhere soon.

This is walker territory, really. An hour's wander through here beats a morning in town if you're after peace and some greenery. The canopy does the heavy lifting - you're not coming for views or a specific destination, but for that enclosed, quiet feeling you get nowhere else. Kids won't be bored if they're the type to hunt for interesting branches and spot wildlife, though there's no playground or cafe to anchor a longer visit.

There's something genuinely calming about it. No crowds, no Instagram backdrop nonsense, just woods doing what woods do. If you're staying at Nirvana Glamping just down the road, it's an absolute no-brainer for a morning stretch of the legs before breakfast. The walk from the glamping site is short enough that you won't hear complaints from the backseat.

The main thing worth knowing: come prepared for muddy ground after rain - these woods drain slowly and you'll want proper boots. Summer visits are gentler on the footwear front. Allow ninety minutes if you want to properly explore rather than just clip through.