North Hessary Tor

The walk up North Hessary Tor is one of those moorland slogs that actually pays off. You're looking at roughly two hours return from Tavistock, depending on fitness and how often you stop for breath on the ascent. The tor itself - that granite stack rising out of Dartmoor - sits at 1,899 feet and commands views across half of Devon on a clear day. On a murky one, you'll be inside the cloud before you reach the top, which is equally atmospheric if you're into that sort of thing.

Walkers will love it. The path is well-trodden and obvious, though muddy after rain, and the moorland setting feels properly wild even though you're never far from civilization. Families with older kids can manage it fine; younger ones might grumble on the way back down. There's nothing to do once you're up there except sit, admire the view, and eat your sandwiches - that's rather the point. No facilities, no café, bring what you need.

Stay at Langstone Manor, just 3.4 miles away, and you've got a solid base for moorland rambling. It's the kind of walk you do on day two of your holiday, after you've worked out where Tavistock's decent pubs are. If bigger park explorations appeal, Dartmoor National Park itself is barely four miles distant. Free to visit, obviously - you're just paying for your legs' effort here.