Minerva Country Park

The reserve sits just outside Exeter and makes for a proper afternoon escape if you're staying in the area. Minerva Country Park is fundamentally a working landscape - part nature reserve, part managed grassland - where you'll spot everything from woodland birds to the occasional deer if you're lucky enough. The walking trails are straightforward rather than dramatic, threading through mixed woodland and open areas without demanding serious fitness levels.

It's the sort of place where you can wander for an hour or three depending on mood, letting the kids burn energy without needing rock scrambles or rope bridges. The paths are well-maintained and suitable for pushchairs in most sections, though some bits can get boggy after rain. Bring wellies if it's been wet.

Where it works best is as a half-day activity when you're based at Castle Brake Holiday Park down the road. Pair it with a proper walk elsewhere - perhaps along the Exe estuary trails - rather than banking the whole day on it. Real selling point is the peace. You're far enough from the road to hear birdsong properly, close enough to Exeter that you're not wrestling with satnav for half an hour to get there.

Head in during spring or early autumn when the light's better and the insect life more interesting. Summer can be buggy, quite literally. No facilities that I'm aware of, so bring a flask and sort yourself out before you arrive.