Gun Cliff Gardens

The cliffs around Dawlish hold more military history than most people realise. Gun Cliff Gardens sits right on the seafront, a compact green space where 19th-century fortifications once bristled with cannons trained on the Channel. Today it's a peaceful spot - genuinely peaceful - with benches overlooking the water and the red sandstone cliffs that make this stretch of Devon coast so distinctive.

What you get is essentially a small terraced garden with views rather than a sprawling attraction. The history is light-touch: you're walking where soldiers once stood, but there's no visitor centre or lengthy interpretation boards. History buffs will appreciate the location and what it represents; families might find it a bit thin on content, though it's a pleasant enough place to sit with an ice cream after a seaside walk.

It's free and accessible year-round, though there's nothing that demands more than twenty minutes of your time unless you're genuinely into coastal defences. Worth combining with a proper explore of Dawlish itself - the town has the seafront railway, a proper working harbour, and a decent high street.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Haven Devon Cliffs is barely a mile away - Gun Cliff Gardens makes a quick detour on an afternoon walk rather than a destination in its own right. The clifftop path itself, though, is cracking for views and worth the walk regardless.