Meacombe burial chamber

Getting to Meacombe burial chamber means leaving the beaten path near Exeter, which is exactly what makes it worthwhile. This is a genuine Neolithic monument - a stone burial chamber that's been sitting in the Devon countryside for roughly 5,000 years. You're looking at a low, rectangular structure with substantial stone slabs forming the walls and roof, the kind of thing that stops you mid-walk and makes you properly think about how long humans have been marking their dead in this landscape.

It's not going to take hours. The chamber itself is modest - you can walk around it, peer inside if the light's right, and absorb the fact that someone thought this mattered enough to build it. No visitor centre, no interpretation boards, just you and archaeology. That's the appeal if you're into that sort of thing; it's the drawback if you need a polished experience with a gift shop.

Solitary walkers and archaeology enthusiasts will get far more from this than families with young kids, though older children interested in prehistory might find it genuinely interesting. The real value comes as part of a wider exploration of Exeter's surroundings rather than a destination visit. If you're based at Woodland Springs or Barley Meadow touring parks - both within a few miles - it's a decent half-hour detour on a country walk. Bring a decent map or GPS. Admission appears to be free and there are no set opening hours since there's nothing to open or close.