Mattiscombe Sands

A long shingle beach that curves away towards Torcross, Mattiscombe Sands doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is - a proper Devon stretch of pebbles and sand, best visited when the tide is out and you've got room to breathe. The walk down from the parking area takes five minutes, maybe less, and you're met with that immediate sense of space that makes you forget about whatever you drove past to get here.

It's the kind of place families with young children will enjoy for a couple of hours - rock pools when conditions allow, space for a ball game, the sort of uncomplicated seaside fun that doesn't require paying through the nose for a beach chair or ice-cream van. Walkers use it as a waypoint rather than a destination, pushing on towards Torcross or backtracking up the coast path. The shingle can be unforgiving underfoot, so proper shoes matter.

The beach faces south-east and gets decent weather, though winter storms claw the sand away entirely. Spring through early autumn is when you'll see most visitors. It's free to access, parking is on the roadside near Kingsbridge - the town itself is just three miles away if you need facilities.

If you're based at Wilton Farm or Start Bay caravan park, this is an easy morning or late afternoon outing. Nothing dramatic, nothing to write home about, but sometimes that's exactly the point. It's where you go when you want a real beach, not a postcard version of one.