Lanacombe 3

Bronze Age burial mounds don't usually stop you in your tracks, but Lanacombe does. This is a proper archaeological site in the hills above Lynton where you can walk among several ancient barrows - earthen mounds that cover Bronze Age burials from well over 3,000 years ago. The appeal is less about dramatic ruins and more about standing in a landscape that hasn't changed much since those mounds were raised.

You'll need sturdy boots and a decent map. It's not a formal visitor attraction with interpretive boards or a gift shop - this is field archaeology as it actually exists, not as museums package it. The moorland setting is genuinely atmospheric, especially when cloud rolls in. Most visitors are serious history types or walkers keen to combine a bit of archaeology with proper Exmoor walking.

Getting there takes effort. Lynton is the nearest town, and from there you're looking at a moorland walk to reach the barrows. The ground is rough and exposed - check the weather before you go, and allow a good few hours if you're combining this with other walks.

It works well alongside a stay at Lynmouth Holiday Retreat nearby. The site itself is free - there's nothing to pay - but this isn't a quick stop-off. You're investing time to see how Bronze Age communities marked their dead in the landscape. If that appeals, the effort pays dividends.