Gallery @ 500ft

You'll find this gallery perched at 500 feet above sea level in Lynton, which immediately tells you something about the effort required to reach it. The views alone justify the climb - you're looking out across the North Devon coast with the Bristol Channel stretching away to the horizon. The collection itself focuses on contemporary art and local work, though it shifts seasonally so there's genuine reason to check what's on before you visit.

It's the sort of place that rewards walkers and art enthusiasts in equal measure. You get the gallery experience without the stuffiness of somewhere in town, and the location means you're combining culture with a proper clifftop walk. Families with older kids will manage the scramble up fine; younger ones might find the journey more memorable than the actual exhibition.

The real strength here is how it sits within Lynton's broader offer. You can spend a morning gallery-hopping and take lunch in the town centre, then head down to Lynmouth Holiday Retreat just beneath - less than a mile away - to base yourself properly. The clifftop path connections mean you can string together walks that work the coast rather than backtracking through town.

Allow an hour or so, longer if the current exhibition pulls you in. It's never rammed, which is either refreshing or means you'll have plenty of quiet to think, depending on your outlook. Worth the walk, particularly if coastal scenery is your thing.