Northernhay Gardens

You'll find yourself wandering through four and a half acres of Victorian gardens right in the heart of Exeter, surrounded by the old town walls. It's peaceful in a way that catches you off guard when you realise you're still in the city centre.

The gardens slope gently downhill with winding paths that reveal themselves as you go - mature trees, flower beds that shift through the seasons, and plenty of benches tucked into quiet corners. There's a bandstand that speaks to the gardens' heyday as a Victorian leisure spot. On a decent day, the whole thing takes about forty minutes to walk through properly without rushing.

Walkers and local office workers seem to use it most, popping in on their lunch break. Families with younger children will find it pleasant enough for half an hour, though there's no playground equipment or anything elaborate - it's more about the gentle wandering than structured activities. History enthusiasts get a kick out of the medieval walls forming one boundary, a tangible link to Exeter's past.

The best time to visit is spring when the flower beds are at their peak, or autumn when the light turns golden through the mature trees. Free entry, of course, and accessible pretty much whenever the gates are open.

If you're based at Devon Heaven Hideaways just outside the city, these gardens make a natural morning outing before heading elsewhere. They're proper town gardens - not wild, not grand, but genuinely pleasant and a world away from the shopping streets nearby.