Hele Wood

The woodland around Hele near Crediton is proper Devon - dense, damp, and surprisingly easy to get lost in if you're not paying attention to the path markers. Hele Wood itself isn't managed as a formal visitor attraction, which means you get the real thing: ancient woodland with a decent network of trails that wind through beech and oak rather than the manicured stuff you find at country estates.

Walkers will absolutely love this. The terrain isn't flat - it climbs and dips enough to feel like proper exercise without being punishing, and the leaf canopy is thick enough that even on drizzly days (and there will be drizzly days in Devon) it feels sheltered. Spring brings bluebells in decent numbers, though you won't have them to yourself. The paths are well-trodden but not overcrowded like you'd get at a National Trust property.

It's free to wander, which is always a bonus. Bring decent boots though - wet clay sticks to trainers something fierce. Allow a couple of hours if you're not charging round like you've got somewhere else to be. Kids will find it engaging enough, though they might tire of it after an hour unless they're proper nature types.

Staying at Yeatheridge Farm Caravan Park just down the road makes this an easy add-on to a broader Devon holiday. It's the sort of walk you fit in between bigger days out rather than a destination in itself, but that doesn't make it less worthwhile.