Memorial seat

There's a bench on a Somerset hillside with a view that stops you mid-stride. The Memorial seat overlooks Minehead and the Bristol Channel, the kind of vantage point where you suddenly understand why someone wanted their memory tied to this particular spot. It's a simple thing - a dedicated seat with a view - but that's rather the point.

Walkers heading out from Minehead will find this worthwhile, particularly if you're tackling the coastal paths or exploring Exmoor's northern edge. You don't need hours here; fifteen minutes to catch your breath and take in the sweep of coastline is enough. The bench itself invites you to sit properly rather than just pass through. On a clear day you can see across the water. On a grey one, it's moody and atmospheric in a very West Country way.

If you're based at Minehead Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or Butlins Minehead, it's a decent destination for a morning ramble before breakfast or a late afternoon stroll when the light softens. Hoburne Blue Anchor Holiday Park, a few miles south, is equally well-placed for a circular walk that takes in the seat. Free, obviously - it's a viewpoint, not a visitor attraction with a car park and a gift shop.

Best visited on foot rather than driven to. That's when it actually means something.