Huer's Hut

Perched on the clifftop above Newquay, this squat stone tower is all that remains of the old pilchard fishing industry that once defined this stretch of Cornwall. The huer - a spotter who'd stand here and shout directions to boats below when he spotted shoals - would have been the most important person on the beach during the season. These days you're climbing up to what's essentially a small, weathered stone hut with a hell of a view.

It's free to visit and takes all of five minutes to walk around, though the coastal path approach is genuinely worth lingering over. The sight lines down to Newquay's beaches make it obvious why this spot mattered. History buffs get the most out of it - there's something rather moving about standing where men once stood yelling their lungs out to feed their families. Kids might find it a bit underwhelming if you've oversold it as an "adventure."

Go when the weather's decent because the appeal is largely the walk and the vantage point. Summer brings crowds to Newquay itself, so aim for shoulder season - May or September - when you can actually think. If you're staying at Trevornick or any of the parks dotted around Holywell Bay and Perran Sands, it's a straightforward clifftop walk that slots nicely into a broader coastal ramble. Don't make a special trip from miles away, but if you're already in Newquay, the path is proper lovely and the hut adds a real human layer to your understanding of the place.