Halwill Playing Fields

The playing fields at Halwill sit on the edge of moorland proper, a few miles south of Okehampton. It's not a flashy nature reserve - more of a working landscape where locals walk their dogs and birders turn up to spot the usual Devon suspects. Curlews, lapwings, the odd buzzard if you're lucky.

Truth is, it's the kind of place you'd pop into if you're already in the area rather than drive specifically for. The open grassland gives proper views across to the moor, and on a clear day it's worth thirty minutes of your time. Families with young kids might find it a bit sparse - there's not much in the way of facilities or structured activity. Walkers heading onto Dartmoor proper would do better to head north. But if you're staying at Wolf Wood Treehouses nearby and want an easy morning outing without leaving the car for long, it does the job.

The real appeal is the quiet. No queues, no visitor centre gift shop, just open Devon countryside doing what it does. Best visited in spring and early summer when the breeding birds are about. Bring binoculars if you're into that sort of thing. Free, obviously, and there's no admission gate - just turn up. Allow an hour to wander about properly, though you could cover the main paths in half that.