National Trust - Holnicote Estate

The Holnicote Estate sprawls across 12,500 acres of Somerset countryside just inland from Minehead, and it's the sort of place that makes you forget the coast exists at all. Owned by the National Trust, the whole thing feels properly wild - rolling moorland, wooded valleys, and villages that haven't changed much since the 19th century.

You're free to wander the estate, which is the whole point really. There are walking trails threading through Dunkery Beacon and down to Porlock, and the views across Exmoor will stop you mid-stride. The woodland sections are excellent if you've got restless kids - streams to splash in, fallen logs to clamber over, the usual stuff that keeps them occupied for hours without screens.

The estate includes several working farms and the village of Selworthy, with its whitewashed cottages and green, which is worth a slow amble on its own. Allow a full day if you're serious about exploring properly, though you can do a decent half-day walk without breaking a sweat.

Admission is free, though donations are welcome. It works brilliantly as a base operation if you're staying at Minehead Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or Butlins - you're only 4-5 miles from the main action. The estate's big enough that you won't feel hemmed in, and it's genuinely lovely when the weather cooperates. Spring and early summer are best, before the school holidays pack it out.