Hartland Quay

The cliffs at Hartland Quay rear up something fierce - the kind of towering grey-brown walls that make you feel properly small. This is North Devon's answer to the drama you'd expect further west, and it delivers without the crowds of more famous spots. You're looking at the remnants of a Victorian quay that's been battered by the Atlantic for the best part of two centuries. The actual harbour structure is long gone, surrendered to the sea ages back, but what remains is a cracking vantage point for surveying the coastline both ways.

The walk down is steep - I'm talking thigh-burning descent on loose ground - so this isn't one for the very young or those with dodgy knees. Allow forty minutes return if you're being leisurely, less if you've got purpose. The payoff is genuine: standing at the base of those cliffs with nothing between you and the horizon but churning water and the occasional boat heading into Bideford. On a clear day the views stretch proper far. Bring waterproofs because the spray catches you if the wind's up.

It's worth the detour from Bideford if you're staying at any of the nearby parks - Coastal Cabins is barely half an hour away, and Atlantic Horizons marginally further. The geology alone will grip anyone interested in landscape. Photographers should come morning or late afternoon; midday flattens the light something terrible. Not one for a quick snap and move on - this is a place to stand and actually look.