Emsworthy Mire

The walk out to Emsworthy Mire takes you deep into Dartmoor territory, where the landscape shifts from managed moorland into something altogether wilder. You're slogging across open heath with Newton Abbot sitting somewhere behind you, and then the mire reveals itself - a boggy, waterlogged expanse that's absolutely teeming with life if you know where to look.

This is a serious nature reserve, not a casual stroll. Bring proper boots because the ground squelches underfoot, and the path can disappear entirely depending on the season. What you get in return is birdwatching that actually justifies the mud - curlew, redshank, dunlin wheeling overhead. Dragonflies in summer if you're lucky. The plants are weird and wonderful too: sundew, sphagnum mosses, that whole acid-bog ecosystem that's become scarce.

Really only for people who actually want to see wildlife, not just walk past it. Kids under ten will get bored within twenty minutes, and the muddy conditions mean you need to be reasonably fit and properly equipped. Allow a good three hours if you want to explore properly rather than just dash to the viewpoint and back.

If you're staying at Oakmoor Touring Park - which is adults-only and genuinely well-maintained - this makes a proper morning's adventure. Bit steep for what it is in terms of difficulty, but worth the effort if moorland ecology genuinely interests you.