Denham Bridge

The bridge itself isn't much to look at - a modest stone crossing over the River Tavy, modest by comparison to the grand spans you'll find elsewhere. But it's the location that makes it worth the detour from Tavistock. Cross it on foot and you're at the gateway to some genuinely lovely walking territory along the river valley, where the water tumbles through steep wooded sides and the air stays cool even on hot days.

It's not a destination in itself, mind. You don't come here to stand around taking photos - you come here because it's a natural pivot point for a proper riverside walk. The bridge marks where the landscape shifts from moorland above to proper gorge below, and that transition is worth experiencing. Twenty minutes on foot in either direction and you'll understand why this corner of Devon attracts walkers season after season.

Historically it's been here for centuries, connecting the settlements either side of the water, though the exact date is lost to time. For families, it works as a waypoint rather than a main event - kids might manage twenty minutes of exploring the rocks and water below before getting restless. Serious walkers will use it as part of a longer loop around the Tavy Valley.

If you're staying at Langstone Manor or Woodovis - both a comfortable half-hour's drive away - it's worth adding to your itinerary as a morning walk. No admission fee, no opening hours to worry about. Just solid, unpretentious Devon landscape doing what it does best.