Lynch Tor

The walk up Lynch Tor rewards you with one of Dartmoor's finest 360-degree views, and the climb itself takes barely twenty minutes from the road. You get proper moorland here - that wild, windswept feeling you came for - without needing to trudge for hours. The tor itself is granite bedrock, weathered smooth in places and jagged in others, and the views south towards the Tavy valley are genuinely impressive on a clear day.

Walkers will love this. It's accessible enough for reasonably fit families, though the final push to the summit is steep and rocky underfoot, so decent boots matter. The moorland path is well-trodden and fairly obvious, which means you won't spend the afternoon lost trying to find it. An hour all in - up, about on the top, back down - is realistic. Go early on weekends if you can, because this spot has caught on and the car park fills up.

Tavistock sits just a few miles away and makes a natural base. If you're staying at Lydford Caravan & Camping Park or Langstone Manor, you're well-placed for a morning here before moving on to Dartmoor National Park proper. It's one of those places that gives you the moorland experience without eating your whole day - which means you can tick it off and still have time for a proper walk elsewhere, or a pub lunch in Tavistock afterwards.