Lanacombe 4

The Iron Age settlement at Lanacombe sits on Devon's north coast with views that stretch across the Bristol Channel - you'll want a clear day for this one. There's not much left to see in terms of structures, but that's rather the point. What remains are the earthwork defences and platform terraces that tell you someone chose this spot deliberately, probably around 500 BC, and defended it fiercely.

Walking the site takes patience. You're looking at subtle banks and ditches in the grass, the kind of archaeology that rewards slow observation rather than dramatic ruins. Bring proper footwear - it's exposed up here and can get boggy. The walk itself from Lynton is straightforward and the landscape does the heavy lifting, with moorland stretching inland and the coast dropping away below.

This is purely for archaeology enthusiasts or anyone who finds themselves plotting walks across Exmoor anyway. Kids will likely lose interest fast unless they're already keen on Iron Age Britain. Families wanting a proper day out are better served by the coast path itself, which passes nearby and offers far more immediate visual reward.

The site's free, obviously, and there's no formal visitor infrastructure. Allow a couple of hours if you're combining it with a wider ramble - the appeal lies in the journey and the thinking time, not in spending an afternoon here. If you're based at Lynmouth Holiday Retreat, this makes a sensible add-on to a longer valley walk rather than a destination in itself.