Iron Age settlement

The Iron Age settlement near Exeter is essentially a series of earthworks and ditches spread across open ground - you're looking at defensive banks and what were once dwelling sites from around 2,000 years ago. It's not much to photograph unless you understand what you're staring at, but walk the perimeter and the layout starts making sense. The inhabitants really did choose their position well, commanding views across the valley.

This is absolutely one for the archaeology crowd and serious history walkers. Casual visitors with young children might find it a bit underwhelming - there are no reconstructions, no museum building, just the landscape itself doing the talking. You need imagination and patience to get something from it. Allow an hour if you're going to do it justice, longer if you want to sit and absorb the place properly.

The free admission (assuming it remains so) makes it worth the stop if you're staying at Castle Brake Holiday Park, only a few miles south. It pairs well with a broader Devon exploration - you're close enough to Exeter for other attractions without being in the thick of tourist chaos. Early morning visits work best, especially after rain when the earthworks show up more dramatically in the light. The site rewards those who actually want to engage with it rather than tick it off.