Ice works (disused)

A crumbling Victorian ice factory on the edge of Okehampton sounds like the sort of place you'd walk straight past. But spend ten minutes poking around the ruins and you realise you're looking at something genuinely odd - a working ice-making plant from the 1890s, built when keeping things cold meant actual engineering rather than plugging in a freezer.

The site itself is fragmented. You'll find the remains of the brick structure, some of the original machinery abandoned to rust and moss, and if you're lucky enough to catch it when someone's done the maintenance, you can make out how the place actually functioned. It's not dramatic - no soaring arches or intact towers - but that's rather the point. This is archaeology in its purest form: a window into Victorian industry that nobody particularly romanticises.

It works best for history bores and anyone with a proper interest in industrial heritage. Kids will get bored within twenty minutes unless they're the sort who like clambering on old metal. Allow an hour if you're thorough, half that if you're just ticking it off.

Free to visit, though access can be patchy depending on landowner cooperation - ring ahead if you can. Based near Okehampton, it slots nicely into a wider exploration of Dartmoor's industrial past. Lydford Caravan & Camping Park sits just 3.6 miles away, making it an easy morning detour before heading onto bigger attractions. Wolf Wood Treehouses is a bit further at 5.3 miles, but suits those wanting somewhere less conventional to base themselves.