Paignton Green

The Green itself is modest - a strip of grassy parkland running along Paignton's seafront that most visitors walk straight past without noticing. But that's the point, really. It's genuine breathing space in a seaside town that doesn't need to shout about itself.

You get open grass, a few planted beds, and proper views across the bay. It's the sort of place where you actually see locals walking their dogs rather than coach parties clustering around a sign. The sandy beach is right there if the weather turns decent, and the town centre is a short stroll back towards the pier.

Walkers will appreciate the flat route along the seafront - no huffing up hills, just steady pace with the water on one side. Families with young kids find it useful as a break between beach time and ice cream runs, though it's not somewhere you'd plan a whole afternoon around. History buffs won't find much to grip them here.

It's free, obviously, and open whenever you fancy turning up. Best visited on a proper day when you can actually see across the water. November onwards feels pointless - grey sea, grey sky, same shade throughout.

If you're based at South Bay Holiday Park nearby, this is a perfectly reasonable evening walk after tea. Nothing spectacular, but it does what it's meant to - gives you a bit of green, a bit of sea air, and doesn't pretend to be something grander than it is.