Old Park Wood

The woodland around Old Park Wood, just inland from Bideford, feels properly wild in a way that surprises you given how close it is to the coast. Ancient trees crowd the paths here - oak and beech mostly - and the canopy gets thick enough that even on bright days you're walking in dappled shadow. It's the kind of place where you actually hear yourself think, which is rarer than it should be.

Walkers will get the most from it. The terrain is uneven, rooty in places, so it's not a casual stroll but it's not arduous either - maybe an hour if you're taking your time and actually looking at things. Kids can manage it fine if they're the sort who like scrambling about and hunting for woodland creatures rather than expecting a manicured path. Bring proper shoes though, it stays damp.

There's no visitor infrastructure that I could find - no café, no car park in the formal sense - so go with low expectations and you won't be disappointed. It's free to walk, which helps, and best visited outside the school holidays when it's less crowded.

For a proper park holiday based at Roeys Retreat Campsite or Coastal Cabins Glamping, this works well as a morning escape before heading to the coast. It won't take your whole day but it'll ground you in the area properly. The forest doesn't roar at you like some tourist spots do - it just lets you be in it.